Younger players supply spark for Steelers
PITTSBURGH – The kids might be all right.
That was the case, at least, for the Steelers’ young offensive players in Sunday’s season-opening 30-27 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers expected last year’s draft class to make a big improvement in their second season. Against the Browns, they got exactly that, especially on offense. Running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receivers Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown each made key contributions in a victory that could show the group has arrived.
“I guess you could say that,” said Bell. “But we could continue to get better. We’re not anywhere near where we want to be.”
They will get a chance to show if they can repeat the performance when the Steelers (1-0) travel to Baltimore (0-1) Thursday night to begin the second week of the NFL’s regular season.
Bell, a second-round pick, had 197 total yards (109 rushing, 88 receiving) with a highlight-reel 38-yard touchdown run. He became the first Steelers running back since Jerome Bettis in 2004 to score a rushing touchdown in four consecutive games.
Wheaton, who was limited to six receptions as a rookie because of a broken finger that required two surgeries to correct, matched his career catch total in the opener with six for 96 yards. None of those receptions was bigger than his final two, which moved the Steelers into position for Shaun Suisham’s game-winning field goal.
And Brown, a sixth-round pick who spent his rookie season on the practice squad, made his first three career receptions for 38 yards.
The Steelers knew what to expect from Bell, who started 13 games last season, setting a team rookie record with 1,259 yards from scrimmage.
“Le’Veon thinks he can do anything on the football field,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin with a laugh. “I agree with him.”
But for Wheaton and Brown, it was something completely new.
“I’ve been working extremely hard to make up for last year,” said Wheaton, a third-round draft pick. “I was a disappointment to myself last year, not doing what I’m able to do. I wanted to make it up. I wanted to come out and make an impact on the game. Doing the work that I did, I think it showed.”
With Cleveland rolling its coverages to Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown in the second half after he had burned the Browns for five receptions, 116 yards and a touchdown, Wheaton and Brown saw plenty of one-on-one coverage.
But that was nothing new. Antonio Brown caught 110 passes for 1,499 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery combined for 113 receptions for 1,342 yards and 16 touchdowns before leaving in free agency.
Veteran Lance Moore was brought in as a free agent to help ease the pressure on Antonio Brown but did not play against Cleveland because of a groin injury. He’s also questionable against the Ravens.
That should leave Wheaton and Justin Brown with plenty of single coverage from the Ravens.
“That’s what we expect a lot with that man on the other side,” Wheaton said. “I feel good with the coverage that I get a lot of times; with teams rolling their coverage to Antonio Brown, it’s pretty much one-on-one most of the time for me.”
That was never more apparent than on the Steelers’ game-winning drive. After a first-down pass to Bell gained two yards, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looked for Wheaton, working against Cleveland rookie Justin Gilbert, with his next two passes.
The first went for an 11-yard gain game. The next was a 20-yard strike over the middle that put the Steelers into field goal range.
“Ending it the way we ended it, with the young guys making plays, obviously we know what Antonio Brown can do. But having our young guys step up, it shows what a force we can be,” Wheaton said.
Odds and end zones
Antonio Brown said he has not yet been fined for drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty for his accidental kick to the head of Cleveland punter Spencer Lanning. Brown, who apologized to Lanning following the game, is unsure if he will be fined. … Sitting out practice because of injuries Tuesday for the Steelers were Moore (groin), running back Dri Archer (ankle) and center Cody Wallace (finger, hamstring). … Rookie receiver Martavis Bryant, who missed the Cleveland game with a shoulder injury, was a full participant, as was safety Shamarko Thomas, who left Sunday’s game with an ankle/Achilles’ tendon injury.