Steelers Daily Links

Steelers Daily Links: Ex-HC Calls for More Warren, Pickett Reading D

Published

6 months ago

October 22, 2023

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren at practice on Sept. 27, 2023. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz thinks Jaylen Warren gives the Pittsburgh Steelers’ run game more of a spark than Najee Harris.

“I think there’s hope when they play Warren. He’s given them some life,” Martz said during a Steelers-Rams preview on the 33rd Team.”I think Najee Harris, just a different guy. He’s missed some holes. They’ve done a pretty good job at times, and he’s just missed. And Warren comes in and he hits it and all of sudden it’s an eight yard gain. I think he’s just a better fit for them right now. He gives them a little juice.”

Martz would also like to see less zone and more gap and power runs from the Steelers.

“They’re getting back more to gap and power football and gotten away from the zone stuff. They get defeated in the zone blocks upfront. Defensive lines, they just shuck them and get off those double teams pretty easily. They’re just not geared towards that. They’re more of a man and gap scheme.”

🏈 Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner thinks Kenny Pickett has struggled to identify defenses pre-snap this season so far.

“Playing quarterback is knowing where you need to start based on what the defense is doing to you. And he struggled a little bit with that here early in the season, and that’s going to get you in trouble,” Warner told Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “The game’s fast, and you’re playing against good defenses. Trying to play catch-up when you don’t see things and identify things quickly leads to struggles no matter who you are.”

🏈 The Steelers are 12-4 when coming off a bye week in the regular season under Mike Tomlin. The last time the Steelers lost when coming off a bye was in 2016.

The Steelers are 2-6 when playing in California under Tomlin. Both of his wins came against the Chargers, one in 2015 when they were still in San Diego and the other coming in 2019 when the Chargers were playing at a professional soccer stadium in Carson.

🎂 Happy Birthday to former Steelers tight end Heath Miller, born on October 22, 1982 in Richlands, Virginia. Miller retired as the all-time leader in receptions (592), receiving yards (6,569) and receiving touchdowns (45) by a tight end. Miller was inducted into the Steelers’ Hall of Honor last year.

🎥 Saturday marked the 22nd anniversary of Joey Porter Sr.’s four-sack performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

OTD in 2001, Joey Porter racked up 4️⃣ sacks against the Buccaneers 💪

📺: #PITvsLAR 10/22 at 4:05 PM ET on FOX pic.twitter.com/0V253fH6ft

— Steelers History (@SteelersHistory) October 22, 2023