Daily News & Links: Panel Picks Steelers, Ed Reed on Rivalry

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? Former Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark had former Baltimore Raven and Hall of Famer Ed Reed on the Pivot Podcast to talk about the Steelers-Ravens rivalry in the 2000s.

The Steelers-Ravens rivalry will never be matched. The physicality of those games played out as hate, but in truth it was about respect,” Clark wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “We walked into each of those games both thinking we were the best defense on the planet, and knowing that the only way to prove it was to outplay the only other team that could lay claim to that title. The difference was razor thin and one mistake could cost your team the championship. There was a healthy fear associated with every play. More than anything we knew those black & purple jerseys were littered with defensive Hall of Famers after a while we learned they felt the same way.” 

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? NFL.com released its Steelers-Patriots preview for Thursday night’s game. All 10 analyst have the Steelers winning and hitting the under of 30 total points.

? Steelers right guard James Daniels has not allowed a single sack on 349 pass-blocking snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Former Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Williams starred at Memphis from 2002-2005.

J.J. Watt said on the Pat McAfee Show that the NFL is taking sacks away from T.J. He felt that T.J. should have been credited a full sack in Sunday’s game but it was taken away to a half-sack. It’s not the first time that it’s happen with T.J. either, as he felt a sack was taken away from him in Week 18 of the 2021 season that would have gave him the NFL single-season record.

In regards to being held, T.J. said after Sunday’s game that the NFL has something against him.

“I don’t know,” Watt said after the24-10 loss to the Cardinals. “The NFL has something going against me so I don’t want to talk any more negativity towards that. I don’t know what I did so I’ll leave it at that.”

? Mike Tomlin gave a shoutout to Cam Heyward to help him win the Walter Payton of the Year Award.

? Happy Birthday to former Steelers guard and Hall of Famer Alan Faneca, born on December 7, 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Faneca played for the Steelers from 1998-2007 and was named to nine Pro Bowls and earned six first-team All-Pro nominations. He is a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and Steelers All-Time Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

NON-STEELERS NEWS FROM AROUND THE SPORTS NOW NETWORK

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins needed a late goal to avoid being shut out by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington says the team will increase its payroll in 2024.

Pittsburgh Sports Now: Blake Hinson powered Pitt basketball to a blowout win over WVU in the Backyard Brawl.

West Virginia Sports Now: It wasn’t all bad news for WVU basketball, as the Mountaineers got forward Akok Akok back from injury.

Nittany Sports Now: Former Penn State defensive end PJ Mustipher has signed with the New Orleans Saints.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now: The Pittsburgh soccer summit is set for Jan. 20 at The Meadows.