Steelers Now
UNITY TWP., Pa. — As the old saying goes, one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity, and there are few better examples of that than what is currently going on in the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary. With established starter Joey Porter Jr. and backup Cory Trice both dealing with injuries, it opened the door to more playing time for James Pierre. If the last two days are any indication, he’s certainly making the most of his chances.
The sixth-year vet finished Friday Night Lights with a bang, staying sticky on the final two reps of practice. He blanketed a drift post, forcing an incompletion in his direction, and then followed that up with a sweet interception off Mason Rudolph as he was trying to squeeze in a back shoulder throw to the sideline.
In order to be a successful cornerback at this level, you have to possess a short memory for better or worse. Saturday’s practice was another step in the right direction, with the Florida Atlantic product stacking solid performances just hours apart.
WR/DB one-on-one drills naturally put the defense at a disadvantage, but Pierre did more than just hold his own in the setting regardless of his opponent. Aligned in off-coverage, he was able to undercut an out-breaker intended for Brandon Johnson and secure the pick after an initial bobble. Next time out, he drew Robert Woods in press, perfectly executed a switchback technique, and essentially ran the route for the wideout to register yet another takeaway.
The Steelers have invested a plethora of resources into their secondary in an effort to become more flexible and maintain that takeaway culture. One of the biggest takeaways from the first week of practice has been that the depth of the group is very obviously much stronger than in years past.
Before camp began, you’d be hard-pressed to find many people covering the team that predicted Pierre would end up making the 53-man roster, but don’t discount the coaching staff’s trust in his ability to contribute when his name is called. Mike Tomlin was complimentary of both him and Scottie Miller for stepping up with so many guys banged up and missing practice today.
“I think that’s kind of reflective of who they are, football players first. Whatever we ask you to do, the more you can do, you add to your cause and ours. So I’m excited about those contributions.”
By Alan Saunders
The Steelers have been dealing with some missing men on the offensive line, with starting left tackle Broderick Jones dealing with a groin injury and backup Calvin Anderson also out longer-term with a soft-tissue injury.
The Steelers have used Dylan Cook extensively at left tackle this training camp already, and he has filled in well at the spot. They also tried guard/tackle Spencer Anderson at left tackle on Saturday.
One thing they haven’t tried is using 2024 first-round draft pick Troy Fautanu at left tackle. Fautanu, who played left tackle at Washington, has played...
