While the offense has been nothing short of spectacular over the course of the last two preseason games, there’s something that has been an issue with the Steelers, and it’s an issue that needs to be corrected in a hurry. The defense. Sure against the Eagles the Steelers D came out looking for blood, and they found it. Coming off an awful showing the week before against...

Dan Pompei of the National Football Post reports running back Rashard Mendenhall showed up to camp in “wow” shape, which was duly noted in the locker room and in the coaching offices. Because Mendenhall is in his fourth year of being in the Steelers offense, he’s completely comfortable with his responsibilities and the concepts. As a result, he’s playing fast and explosively...

If the Steelers offense is as good in 2011 as it was for the first 30 minutes of Saturday’s preseason game – it’s going to be a very good year. Against a team that won 13 games in the regular season a year ago, the Steelers went up and down the field against the Atlanta Falcons, scoring 24 first half points enroute to a 34-16 win. The game did have it’s costs, as the Steelers...

1. Green Bay Packers – The Pack is back, healthy and ready to try and defend their titles. They look like a team that won’t rest on last season, and with an opening night battle with the Saints, the season starts with a bang at home. Last Ranking: #2

It’s the third preseason game that fans of their favorite teams usually get a good long look at the starters. That will be the case tonight for the Steelers as they host the Falcons at Heinz Field. Coach Mike Tomlin said the starters will play at least a half, and there’s a shot that one of the units might even start the third quarter. He said his top two quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger...

Pro Football Weekly is throwing out power rankings for the preseason each week, and this week the Steelers rank fourth overall in the league. Here’s the comments on the Steelers and the rest of the AFC North teams. 4. Pittsburgh Steelers With Timmons locked up, title of best LB corps not changing any time soon. 6. Baltimore Ravens Questions still abound on the offensive line....

The Steelers have signed another key part of their defense, as the team has inked inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons to a five-year, $50 million contract extension. The deal comes with $18 million in bonuses. A 2007 first-round pick (15th overall) out of Florida State, Timmons has started 30 of his 62 career games, totaling 291 tackles, 15 quarterback sacks, seven forced fumbles...

The Steelers re-signed tackle/guard Trai Essex today to a one-year contract Monday afternoon, putting more beef on their O-line, an area that has been beat up recently with injuries. Essex was a third-round Steelers pick of the 2005 NFL draft. He started 25 games, some at tackle, some at guard. He opened the 2009 season He won the job and started all 16 games at right guard in 2009...

Thursday night in front of 55,189, the Steelers played like a team ticked off after their rather ugly outing a week ago against the Washington Redskins. They were hitting on all cylinders all night, as the self-proclaimed “dream team” of the Philadelphia Eagles were no match for the defending AFC Champs as the Steelers won with ease 24-14 to even their preseason mark at 1-1...

After much deliberation and careful consideration of many nominees, CBS Pittsburgh has narrowed the field of Finalists down for this year’s MVB. And Steelers Gab has made the cut! Voting for finalists is open now through September 9th. No registration is required, and you can vote daily! Let your voice be heard – Vote now!

The names are impressive. Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, QB Vince Young, DL Cullen Jenkins Jason Babin, RB Ronnie Brown. All big name players that have joined the “other” NFL team in Pennsylvania this offseason – the Eagles. Tonight the Steelers host Philly in preseason game number two, a game that will feature the starters playing a half, and it will be the first time...

Remember when the Steelers drafted Texas WR Limas Sweed back in 2008? He came with high regard, taken in the 2nd round (22nd pick), and was supposed to be a big play guy that with his size, 6-4, 220 pounds, could provide the Steelers with a wide out that could get behind the secondary. Instead, his Steelers career came to an end on Wednesday, as the wide receiver was waived, just...

The Steelers have announced the signings of cornerback Kevin Dockery and safety Macho Harris. To make room on the roster, wide receiver Limas Sweed has been “Waived/Injured” and tight end Eugene Bright was waived from the physically unable to perform list. A former undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, the 5-foot-8, 188-pound Dockery has 171 tackles, four interceptions...

After last season, 58-year-old Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians contemplated retirement before signing a one-year contract to return to the team. Arians discussed his decision to continue coaching with Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Ben (Roethlisberger) and I were sitting on the porch, and he just kept bringing up young names, saying, ‘You don...

The Trib reports that new WR Jerricho Cotchery is having a good time early in camp with his new team, and isn’t having problems getting along with the Steelers. The way Jerricho Cotchery tells it, he should have no trouble meshing with teammates who share a blue-collar sensibility. “My game is not pretty; it’s not cute. My game is to get the job done,” Cotchery...

According to several different reports via Twitter, rookie running back John Clay walked out on practice on Monday afternoon. According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Clay walked off the practice field towards the locker room eventually stopped by a staffer who talked him out of leaving. Bouchette writes via his twitter page: “#steelers rookie rb john clay...

Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor broke his left thumb in the first quarter of the Steelers loss to the Redskins Friday night, and could miss a couple of weeks of action. Team president Art Rooney II broke the news at halftime on KDKA-TVs broadcast of the game. Taylor signed a $28 million contract last week.

Two days after rookie running back Baron Batch blew out his left knee while practicing on artificial turf, Steelers chairman emeritus Dan Rooney on Friday said he is in favor of sticking with grass at Heinz Field according to Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The surface always ranks at or near the bottom of the rankings in surveys of NFL players. But the Steelers players...

From: Sports Network The battle for the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback job moves from the practice field into game conditions on Friday, when the Burgundy and Gold hosts the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers at FedEx Field in the preseason opener for both teams. After ending Donovan McNabb’s short-lived and unsuccessful tenure in Washington by trading the...

Baltimore Ravens Unsigned players: LS Kevin Houser (UFA), WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (UFA), C Daniel Sanders (UFA). Key arrivals: Ex-Chargers TE Kris Wilson, Aug. 8; Ex-Bills UFA TE Jonathan Stupar, Aug. 8; Ex-Texans UFA S Bernard Pollard, Aug. 4 (two years); Ex-Texans UFA FB Vonta Leach, July 31 (three years, $11 million). Key departures: UFA OT Jared Gaither, Aug. 11 (to Chiefs); UFA...

The Steelers have added to their WR core, coming to terms with former Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery on a one-year deal. The move comes after Cotchery was released last week by the Jets. New York picked up former Ravens WR Derrick Mason. Coach Rex Ryan said that Cotchery asked to be traded or released. The 29-year-old was taken in the fourth round by the Jets out of North Carolina...

ESPN is out with their preseason Power Rankings, and the Steelers are ranked fifth overall on the list, trailing only the following teams: Green Bay, New England, Philadelphia and New Orleans. Here’s the comment on the Steelers from AFC North blogger James Walker. With off-field distractions behind them, the reigning AFC champs are focused on getting back to the Super Bowl. As...

The Steelers could add a former Bengals tight end to the roster today, as Reggie Kelly attended Steelers training camp this morning and could be signed. The inking of Kelly would put him in a spot to compete for the No. 2 tight end spot. The 34-year-old played 13 seasons in the NFL, the last seven with the Bengals. He had 194 catches and 1,760 yards in his career, but he is known...

The Post-Gazette reports that for now, the Steelers are putting contract extensions on hold. The Steelers want to “let the dust settle a little” and consider possible free-agent signings before they even think about doing contract extensions for Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu or inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons, the Post-Gazette has learned. The team did what they had to do�...

The Steelers have removed wide receiver Hines Ward from the physically unable to perform list, clearing him for a return to practice. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the move, which means Ward has passed his physical. He opened training camp on the PUP list while he continued to rehabilitate from thumb surgery on June 1 to repair a ligament injury he suffered...