Steelers Daily Links: Javon Hargrave Better in Philly, Trubisky to Miami?

Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was a solid player for the Steelers from 2016-2019, but he’s really taken it to a new level in Philadelphia. Hargrave will make his Super Bowl debut with the Eagles tonight.

“In Pittsburgh, I didn’t really play as much like I’m playing in Philadelphia,” Hargrave told ESPN’s Andscape.com in Glendale, Ariz., this week. “But when I got to Philly, they just cut me loose. They put me in good situations to win. I just grew up. I think Pittsburgh helped me, too, but I grew up here in Philadelphia, just being consistent and, like I say, sticking to my routine.”

Longtime NFL sportswriter Rick Gosselin shared a key stat on how defense wins championships. “48 of the 56 Super Bowl champions finished in the Top 10 in scoring defense. It’s not how many points you score — it’s how few you allow. The Eagles finished 8th in the NFL in scoring defense this season, the Chiefs 16th,” Gosselin tweeted.

Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark needs three sacks in Super Bowl LVII to become the NFL’s all-time postseason sack leader. Former New England Patriots outside linebacker Willie McGinest holds the record with 16 sacks.

ESPN: Jeremy Fowler thinks Mitch Trubisky could possibly land in Miami. “Trubisky is a name to watch in the coming weeks,” Fowler said. The Steelers would like to keep him, but his $8 million salary on a $10.6 million cap hit is steeper than usual for a Pittsburgh backup. Miami could be a good fit for him, as the Dolphins need a capable veteran behind Tua in case concussion issues persist.”

93.7 The Fan: Former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick is still haunted by Ben Roethlisberger’s Week 2 debut in 2004. “When he first came in, he came in against us because Tommy Maddox got hurt. If we would have known how great a player Ben was going to be, I would have said nobody touch Maddox. We want this guy to stay in the game,” Billick said.

Steelers Wire: Due to the youthfulness on offense, Hines Ward thinks it’s unfair to compare Kenny Pickett’s rookie season to Ben Roethlisberger’s in 2004. “Ben just came in, did a phenomenal job, had a phenomenal rookie year, you know, so to compare, Kenny’s season, rookie season to Ben that’s kind of unfair to Kenny because there’s such a young team, you look at from the running back spot to the wide receiver spots,” Ward said. Ward emphasized that Roethlisberger came into an ideal situation with the amount of veterans and strong leadership that the roster possessed in 2004. “I think overall and in the big picture, I mean, I think he did a phenomenal job considering the circumstances, you know, I can’t really compare it to because you know, when Ben was a rookie, he came into a veteran squad,” Ward said.