Latest news with #KeeanuBenton
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five Takeaways from Steelers Schedule: Rodgers Impact, Trap Game, More
The Pittsburgh Steelers got their schedule for the 2025 season on Wednesday, and while the identities of the team's 14 opponents over 17 games had been known since the end of the 2024 season, the order of operations was revealed with the league's annual schedule release. We saw last year how the schedule can impact things, with the Steelers struggling amid the NFL's most difficult stretch run in recent memory, facing three Super Bowl contenders — the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles — in an 11-game stretch. Advertisement So with he release of this year's schedule, is there another such touch stretch awaiting the Steelers or have the schedule-makers been kinder this year, and what other pertinent takeaways are there from the announcement? Let's dive in: Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton chases New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Oct. 20, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now While it seems very likely that Aaron Rodgers will eventually sign with the Steelers, this schedule is not the way it would have looked if the lighting rod of a quarterback was securely signed in Pittsburgh. His revenge game against the New York Jets, while in Week 1, is in a Sunday 1 p.m. window, and the Steelers have just four prime time games instead of six, they don't play on a holiday. This schedule has less national attention built into it than the Steelers usually get — not the significant increase we should have expected with Rodgers in the fold. Advertisement Last year, the Steelers played two 4:25 p.m. national games, four traditional prime time games, two standalone Saturday games, and a standalone Christmas Day game. That's nine times last year the Steelers played and were the only game on TV. This year, there's only six of those built into the schedule. So while the game against the Packers being one of the prime time games is probably a nod to the possibility of it being a Rodgers-Packers showdown, the Steelers overall schedule is that of a 10-7 team with an unsettled and uninteresting quarterback situation, not one with Rodgers. The Trap Game New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan at Ohio State pro day on March 26, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now The Steelers don't have too any outright bad games on their schedule. They play the Cleveland Browns twice, but the rivalry makes those games emotional affairs, no matter the records of the teams involved. The Jets being the season opener pretty well rules that out as a trap game. Advertisement But the one other team that drafted inside No. 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft on the schedule is the New England Patriots, and their placement in the schedule has the look of a nasty trap game. After starting on the road, the Steelers have their home opener in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Week 4 is their long-awaited trip to Ireland to face the Vikings. In between, a trip to New England to face a lowly Patriots team. That looks like a game the Steelers should dominate, but that also makes it an easy opponent to overlook. First Timers Club New York Jets running back Breece Hall in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 20, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now The Steelers will play three teams with new head coaches in 2025: the Jets (Aaron Glenn), Patriots (Mike Vrabel) and Bears (Ben Johnson). Playing new coaches is usually boon — they typically aren't very good — especially ones totally new to the position like Glenn and Johnson. Advertisement But Glenn's position on the Steelers schedule will also make him a pain in the butt. The Steelers will have no regular season game film on what the Jets will be doing under Glenn when they take the field at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 7. So they're just going to have to wing it for Week 1. Lions Make a Lasting Impact Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff hands off in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 14, 2021. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now Last season, opponents of the Detroit Lions went 2-14 in the week following their game against Detroit. The Steelers have what should be an easier game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, following their Week 16 trip to Motown. But watch out for the physical running style of the Lions and its ability to have a lasting impact on an opponent. With Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson both drafted and an absolute mess at quarterback, the Browns will probably try to run the ball, too. Advertisement All of that is coming ahead of a Week 18 date with Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. So the Steelers' physicality and ability to absorb physical punishment will be tested down the stretch. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 17, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now Flex Time? I get the feeling that we're going to be talking about the Steelers in the flex schedule conversation a lot this fall. With there only being four prime time games, they can actually be flexed twice more, and those 1 p.m. December games against the Lions and Ravens seem prime flexing territory. This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Five Takeaways from Steelers Schedule: Rodgers Impact, Trap Game, More Advertisement Related Headlines
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The future of the Steelers' D-line begins to take shape at rookie minicamp
PITTSBURGH — On Thursday afternoon, Steelers first-round pick Derrick Harmon entered the team facility on Pittsburgh's Southside to find his new locker. Whether it was an intentional decision or pure coincidence, the new defensive tackle was assigned a spot right next to starting nose tackle Keeanu Benton and just a few places away from veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward. Advertisement That position in the locker room is an appropriate visual for the place Harmon holds in the Steelers' plans. For a team that wants to win football games by dominating in the trenches, upgrading along the defensive line was a major priority this offseason. The Steelers double-dipped on defensive linemen on draft weekend, selecting Harmon in the first round and Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black in the fifth. In the short term, Harmon should step into a role similar to where he is in the locker room: on Benton's left in the base defense. Years down the line, when Heyward eventually retires, Harmon will be counted on to be part of the youth movement that helps lessen the blow. '(Benton and I) have been talking since I got here,' Harmon said. 'He's a nice teammate to have. He came from the Big Ten like me, so we know how ball is.' The evolution of the defensive line took its first steps when Harmon and the rest of his draft class participated in the first day of rookie minicamp Friday. When the Steelers drafted Harmon, coach Mike Tomlin said that the defensive lineman has 'Steelers DNA.' After his first taste of Steelers football, Harmon agrees. Mike Tomlin said after Derrick Harmon was drafted that he has 'Steelers DNA.' Harmon on why he's a fit: 'You've got to have some grit to be in this organization. You've got to have an edge to you and you've got to play with a little bit of pride to you. I feel like that's me.' — Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 9, 2025 'You've got to have some grit to be in this organization,' Harmon said. 'You've got to have an edge to you and you've got to play with a little bit of pride to you. I feel like that's me.' With former starting defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi gone, there's a high probability that Harmon immediately steps into a starting role from Day 1. The Steelers will count on his diverse skillset and first-round pedigree to make an impact on all phases of the defense. Advertisement Against the run last year, the Steelers were actually one of the better teams. Over the entire 17-game slate, they allowed the fifth-fewest yards per carry (4.1) and the sixth-fewest rushing yards overall (98.7 per game). However, down the stretch and against quality rushing offenses, the results weren't nearly as impressive. In three of the final five games, the Steelers allowed 100 rushing yards or more, including 131 yards to the Eagles and 220 yards to the Ravens in back-to-back games. Baltimore also racked up nearly 300 rushing yards in the Steelers' one-and-done playoff appearance. Considering Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson aren't going anywhere (and Heyward might be in a couple of years), the Steelers needed to think about the future of their defensive front. At the same time, it's not all about stopping the run. From 2017 to 2021, a span of five seasons, the Steelers led the league or were tied for the league lead in sacks. However, over Teryl Austin's three-year tenure as defensive coordinator, blitzing has declined as the Steelers have often relied on four rushers to create pressure on passing situations. Partially as a result, a team that was once the standard for getting to the quarterback is now closer to league average, finishing 14th in 2022 (40 sacks), 11th in 2023 (47 sacks) and 16th last year (40). If the Steelers again want to limit their blitzing, they'll be counting upon Harmon to provide a push upfield. After leading FBS interior defensive linemen with 55 pressures last season, the rookie should be well-equipped to contribute in that area. His familiarity with four-man fronts at Michigan State and odd fronts at Oregon also helps the transition process and provides evidence that he can be a factor on run or pass downs and in different personnel packages. Advertisement 'Coming from Oregon, they throw everything at us,' Harmon said. 'I was in the NFL at Oregon. I feel like I'm right there. They prepare us very well for this.' As an added benefit, the Steelers also plan to play Harmon alongside T.J. Watt, which could help create more opportunities for the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. '(I'm looking to) just to help my team out,' Harmon said. 'Just to get to work with my team. Be a good rookie and find that vet to get under his wing and learn this game, because it's a whole different game than college.' As Harmon takes his first steps into the NFL, he's doing so with a heavy heart. While Harmon was hearing his name called during the draft, his mother, Tiffany Saine, was on life support. Harmon rushed to the hospital to tell his mother the good news. Unfortunately, that was their final conversation, as she passed shortly after. Steelers first-round pick Derrick Harmon on dealing with the loss of his mother as he begins to live out his NFL dream: 'I'm doing the best I can.' — Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 9, 2025 'I'm doing the best I can right now,' Harmon said. 'I'm in football now. I'm in my element. I got my mind off a few things, but I'm OK.' The emotional high of fulfilling a lifelong dream and the weight of the loss create a challenging moment for a young player with promise. 'I'm still dealing with it,' Harmon said. 'I don't know. I'm just putting one foot in front of the other really.' (Top photo of Derrick Harmon: Brooke Sutton / Getty Images)
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NFL draft: Steelers post-Super Bowl mock draft includes big trade
Now that the Super Bowl is done and the Philadelphia Eagles are champions, every team is going to try and emulate their formula for success. The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the offseason understanding just how high the bar is set so we did this mock draft with the purpose of trying to emulate what the Eagles do well and how to get close. This draft also included a trade with the Chicago Bears that sent picks No. 21 and No. 163 to the Bears in exchange for picks No. 39 and No. 41. We hope Keeanu Benton bounces back next season but if the Steelers want to stuff the run they must beef up the defensive front with a player like Williams. If the Steelers decide to re-sign Justin Fields, Milroe is the perfect rookie to draft and allow to sit behind him and learn. Cornerback might be a bigger need here but Ransom is just too good to pass up as a dual-threat safety who can stuff the run and drop into coverage. The Steelers need a back who can power between the tackles but has the speed to break off long runs and Gordon can do it all. Mills is one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the draft and a perfect fit as a base defensive end in the Steelers defense but can slide inside. In this mock draft we are banking on the Steelers either signing a big-name free agent or trading for a No. 1 receiver so instead the Steelers can wait to bring in Sheppard who is a great route runner with excellent hands. Tulafono is a great developmental interior offensive lineman who plays with great leverage and power. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Steelers post-Super Bowl mock draft includes big trade
