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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) participates in the Organized Team Activities (OTAs), Thursday May 27, 2021 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Caitlyn Epes / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers, along with the rest of the AFC North, will be featured on the in-season version of Hard Knocks, which will only make the second half of their schedule even more difficult than it already is.
Extra camera crews have already started getting a behind-the-scenes look, but head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t letting the team use that as an excuse.
“To me, it’s something to conquer, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “We have to deal with it better than the other three teams. That’s how I view a lot of things that come across my plate, particularly when others deal with it. I’m less concerned with the inconvenience of it and more concerned about, are we positioning ourselves to perform under those conditions better than those that we compete against?”
The Steelers seem to have handled the extra distractions quite well thus far as they currently sit atop the AFC North at 8-3, followed by the Baltimore Ravens (8-4), Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) and Cleveland Browns (3-8).
That doesn’t mean players are happy to have Hard Knocks peaking behind their closed doors, though. Several players, such as defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and long snapper Christian Kuntz, have been dreading this time of year since the summer.
The Steelers must find a way to continue shutting out the extra noise, nonetheless. They have their third straight divisional game in Week 13 with a matchup against the Bengals.
Cincinnati isn’t having the season it likely imagined, but Tomlin isn’t overlooking its talented roster.
“If you look at the tape, (Joe Burrow) is MVP-caliber, in terms of what he’s doing for them,” Tomlin said. “It’s a 60-minute game. I think that’s reflected in watching them play. I think often times you see teams are capable of slowing him or slowing them down at the early portions of the game, but in the fourth quarter, he and they are coming on like gangbusters.”
The Browns haven’t had the season they likely imagined, either, and the Steelers fell to them 24-19 in Week 12. Tomlin knows they must stay locked in to avoid losing back-to-back divisional games.
“It’s something everyone in the AFC North has to deal with,” Tomlin said. “So it’s our agenda to do so better than the other three teams.”
The first episode of in-season Hard Knocks premieres December 3 on HBO Max.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
More must-reads:
- Dolphins quickly become NFL's most hopeless situation
- Fantasy football Week 9: Five players who could flop
- The 'NFL passer rating leaders' quiz
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Packers’ Micah Parsons reveals why he’s not that interested in Aaron Rodgers’ offer
Green Bay Packers superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons has been among the players Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had offered to sell his house in Green Bay to. During last Sunday’s game between the Packers and the Steelers, Rodgers tried to pitch his property to Parsons, but the newly minted NFC Defensive Player of the Month doesn’t see the need for him to have such a big house yet, particularly since he’s just on his own (h/t Rob Demovsky of ESPN). On the season, Parsons has 6.5 sacks, including one against Rodgers in Green Bay’s 35-25 win in Week 8. Micah Parsons thinks another Packers player would be interested in Rodgers’ crib While Parsons is unlikely to acquire Rodgers’ place in Green Bay, he thinks that another player would be interested in it. “Tuck said he might try and look at it,” Parsons said, referring to Green Bay star tight end Tucker Kraft. ”...It’s a nice house, but it’s just me right now. That’s why I’m not in an urge to buy anything.” With the way Kraft is playing this season, he could be closing in on a massive extension, so buying Rodgers’ house could be within his budget as well. Kraft’s current contract will expire after the 2026 NFL season. But if Parsons changes his tune, he also should have the money to purchase the house. After getting traded by the Dallas Cowboys to the NFC North franchise, Parsons inked a four-year, $186M contract extension with Green Bay.
Why McDaniel Sticking Around Isn't Surprising Following GM Change
Among all of the fanfare that came from the Miami Dolphins finally parting ways with general manager Chris Grier, there was another report about one of the team’s key decision-makers. The Dolphins are expected to keep head coach Mike McDaniel through the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. McDaniel was asked about whether owner Stephen Ross’ tone has changed in their recent conversations on Friday, and the head coach gave a simple answer: No. His team is off to a rough 2-7 start this season, and he’s just 30-30 in the regular season through four years, while being 0-2 in the postseason with the Dolphins. Head coaches have been fired for less, but despite that, it shouldn’t be surprising that Ross is keeping McDaniel around. Why McDaniel Surviving the Season Isn’t Shocking The product on the field isn’t good, but if you’ve been paying any attention to the reporting around the Dolphins in recent weeks, it’s pretty clear that Ross is desperate for McDaniel to be successful. Every week, national reporters have taken to the airwaves to say that Ross wants to remain patient and that he likes McDaniel. Those reporters have sources inside the building. They’re not just getting those reports from nowhere. It’s also prudent to look at Ross’ history regarding firing head coaches. Ross has fired four head coaches during his time as Dolphins owner, which began in 2009: Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase, and Brian Flores. Sparano was fired after 13 games into his fourth season, and Philbin was let go just four games into his fourth season. After that, Ross allowed his head coaches to finish out the season — both Gase and Flores were fired quickly after the season ended. Another factor to consider is that Ross gave McDaniel an extension just last season. It runs through the 2028 season, so combining that with Ross’ history and all the reports about how much McDaniel is liked, it’s not shocking he’ll last the season. What’s the Benefit of Moving off McDaniel Now? It’s fair for fans to be upset with McDaniel’s performance. It hasn’t been up to anyone’s expectations, but there really isn’t much of a benefit to firing him right now. The Dolphins’ season is essentially over, regardless of who the head coach is. The team is 2-7 and won’t make the playoffs for the second-straight season. Pivoting to an interim head coach isn’t changing that. If you’re worried about “accountability,” that’s fair. However, the team's parting ways with Grier makes him accountable. That’s pretty meaningful, given how long he’s been with the team (since 2000, given GM title in 2016). Is there really a difference between letting McDaniel finish the season and firing him when the season is over? No, there’s really not. With Grier out in the front office, the team can get a jump on GM candidate research and then let that hire run the entire HC search process. Of course, this leaves the door open for McDaniel to convince Ross to keep him around. The Dolphins sort of climbed their way out of a 2-6 record last season, so it’s not too crazy to imagine that being enough to earn McDaniel another chance. Barring a miracle turnaround, we’d recommend the Dolphins clean house this offseason. McDaniel has some positive traits, but he’s gotten plenty of chances to get the Dolphins over the hump, but hasn’t. We'll have the whole season to discuss that, though. Still, the team keeping him through the season is hardly shocking, considering Ross’ history.
Key Matchups in Green Bay vs Carolina
Week 9 kicks off with the (4-4) Carolina Panthers traveling to the (5-1-1) Green Bay Packers. Jordan Love and the Packers will be looking to continue their 3 game winning streak facing off against a returning Bryce Young and the Panthers. Today we will dive into this game and look at the key matchups in Green Bay vs Carolina. Packers Rush Defense vs Dowdle/Hubbard The first of our key matchups in Green Bay vs Carolina is the Packers rush defense going against the Panthers rushing attack of Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. It sounds as if the Carolina Panthers will give the heavy load to Dowdle with Hubbard rotating in. It will not be an easy task going against the 3rd best run defense in the NFL for the Panthers. However the same could be said for this Green Bay defense as they are facing the 5th best rushing attack in the NFL at 136 yards per game. Dowdle ranks 7th in the NFL with 605 yards, an average of 5.7 yards per carry without the full workload this season. The Packers will need to slow down this rushing duo and force a returning Bryce Young to pass the ball. If Green Bay can succeed at stopping the run, Carolina could be in for a tough offensive day. Packers Pass Rush vs Panthers Offensive Line Second of our key matchups in Green Bay vs Carolina is the Packers pass rush vs the Panthers offensive line. The Packers have the best pass rushing duo in the NFL when it comes to bringing down the quarterback. Rashan Gary is fifth in the NFL with 7.5 sacks and Micah Parsons is right on his back with 6.5. On the Carolina side, their offensive line has been average this season but has also been dealing with some injuries. They rank 15th in the NFL with 19 sacks allowed. Bryce Young has been sacked 11 times, and last week Andy Dalton was sacked seven times. This stout Green Bay defensive pass rush could have another big day sacking the quarterback. Hopefully Jeff Hafley fairs much better than his predecessor did when facing Bryce Young a couple of seasons ago. Green Bay Rushing Attack vs Carolina Defense Last of our key matchups in Green Bay vs Carolina is the Packers rushing attack vs the Carolina Panthers Defense. Last week the Packers rushing attack struggled against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It wasn’t working until Emanuel Wilson came in and gave that change of pace style that sparked the Packers 2nd half offense. Green Bay will need more from a banged up Josh Jacobs, while some have suggested letting Jacobs rest this game and start Wilson. With Jacobs being the team leader he is I don’t see that happening. If the Packers were smart they would continue the rotation of Wilson and Jacobs until the latter is fully healthy. This duo will need to keep the Panthers defense on their tails to allow Quarterback Jordan Love to keep up his strong start to 2025. Don’t forget to check out last weeks article: Key matchups in Green Bay @ Pittsburgh-https://packerstalk.com/2025/10/24/key-matchups-in-green-bay-pittsburgh/ Joseph is an avid Packers fan since the age of five who enjoys giving his opinions on his favorite team! The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary - Vince Lombardi. Go Pack Go!
Latest news prove Minnesota Vikings aren't content with the status quo, and it could elevate the team to the playoffs
This Sunday against the Detroit Lions is going to be huge when it comes to setting the expectations for the rest of the season. A loss will make a run toward the playoffs significantly less likely for the Vikings, and it could impact how they approach the trade deadline. The conventional wisdom would be that the Vikings wouldn't make a move to add at the trade deadline due to their record, especially when you look at the majority of players being acquired are on expiring contracts. Three years ago, the Vikings and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a big splash to acquire T.J. Hockenson at the deadline, and it was a big addition both for the 2022 season and beyond. Even if the Vikings lose, they could make an addition with the long-term in mind. Vikings trade history with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah The Vikings traded second and third round picks for T.J. Hockenson and two fourth-round picks at the trade deadline in 2022 Ahead of the 2022 season, the Vikings made low-risk trades for both Jalen Reagor and Ross Blacklock At the 2024 trade deadline, the Vikings acquired LT Cam Robinson for a 2026 fourth-round pick Minnesota Vikings eyeing a cornerback at the trade deadline One of the positions the Vikings need to find a long-term solution for is cornerback. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported on Friday that the Vikings are looking for a cornerback. "As for buyers, the Vikings and Colts are among a list of teams looking for corners. That market isn’t rich with options, which could make the Rams (McCreary), Browns (Tyson Campbell) and Eagles (Michael Carter II) look smart for striking a little earlier." It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the Vikings are looking for a cornerback to help them out, especially with Jeff Okudah being both ineffective and injured. They haven't shown a willingness to trust Dwight McGlothern as of yet, and finding a player at the position to fortify with Isaiah Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr. should make a difference, especially when it comes to playing man coverage. The key here is finding a cornerback whom the Vikings can trade for. There aren't a lot of options, especially with four cornerbacks having already been traded. Two that come to mind are Riq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks and Alontae Taylor of the New Orleans Saints. Woolen has fallen out of favor with the Seahawks over the last couple of seasons with Mike Macdonald at the helm. He is currently starting for the Seahawks, but he doesn't seem to be in their long-term plans. He would provide the necessary size and speed the Vikings need at the cornerback position. Taylor is more of a slot cornerback, which the Vikings have been hesitant to add with wanting to slide Murphy on the inside. Even so, he's a versatile piece that could end up being a huge benefit for the Vikings. The deadline is going to be huge for the Vikings, and it could give them a necessary piece to help the defense both short-term and long-term. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-383').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-383').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
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