It’s back to work for Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, as the team is ready to gear up for Sunday’s home game at Acrisure Stadium against New Orleans (1 p.m., FOX) after coming off of their bye week.
With nine games left on the schedule (and six against teams currently with a sub-.500 record), Pittsburgh is hoping to finish strong, and should look a little bit different on both sides of the ball the rest of the way.
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt and sixth-year safety Demontae Kazee are both expected to be cleared and removed from the injured reserve list in time for Sunday’s game.
“I just think that remains to be seen,” Tomlin said of their availability. “I think I’ll let their contributions speak for themselves, but obviously those are two veteran players that are NFL-capable, and obviously, they’re going to be positive contributors to our efforts, if available.”
Kazee, who recorded 52 tackles (35 solo), two interceptions and two forced fumbles for Dallas in 2021 after playing his first four seasons with the Falcons, is known as a versatile safety who should help take some of the load off of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmonds in the secondary.
The Steelers also added another defensive back, trading for seventh-year Commanders cornerback William Jackson III. With Kazee and Jackson joining the secondary for the latter-half of the season, it should only add to that group’s experience moving forward.
“I think anytime you get veteran presence, it’s an asset to you,” said Tomlin. “Been-there, done-that guy. Both guys are that. I don’t necessarily view them as one in the same. Kazee’s been a part of the program from the outset; we signed him in the offseason. Will’s contribution will be determined by his availability and how quickly he’s able to learn some of the nuances of what it is that we do, and his ability to communicate and function as a collective.”
Offensively, the Steelers dealt wide receiver Chase Claypool to Chicago just before the trade deadline, acquiring a 2023 second-round draft pick from the Bears.
“It’s not just the depth at the position that we were comfortable with in terms of making that move,” Tomlin said of the transaction, “but just the space of the field in which Chase had made a lot of plays for us also is the space of the field where [tight end] Pat Freiermuth makes a lot of plays for us. So it’s reasonable to expect him to get continually highlighted in that area as well.”
Freiermuth has already made some of the biggest plays of the season for the Steelers in the passing game, and could very well see even more targets and receptions with Claypool out of the picture.
“To be honest, I don’t really care about the extra targets or the numbers or the stats, or anything like that,” said Freiermuth. “I just want to do everything I can to help the team win, and if that’s me catching the ball more and making more plays down the middle of the field, then I’m gonna do that. We just want to win, and we’ve just got to get this win this week.”
Steven Sims, who took over kick-returning duties for the Steelers, should also see more targets at receiver with the departure of Claypool.
“He’s been a guy that’s made some plays when given an opportunity, and when available,” Tomlin said of Sims. “He’s electric with the ball in his hands. He flipped the field on us a few weeks ago in the kick game, so we’re excited about giving him continued exposure to see if that continues.”
Claypool’s absence could also open things up for more two-tight-end sets, with any combination of Freiermuth, Zach Gentry or rookie Connor Heyward sharing the field together.
“I think we’ve gotten some mileage out of multiple-tight-end personnel groups, and I think there’s obviously some more meat on that bone, yes,” Tomlin said.
Speaking of tight ends, former University of Virginia and Steelers star Heath Miller will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Honor on Sunday.
And don’t be surprised to see another rookie — running back Jaylen Warren — continue to get more touches. Tomlin was asked Wednesday if he sees any possibility of Warren (29 carries for 153 yards rushing, 5.3 yards per carry; 12 receptions for 88 yards, 7.3 yards per catch) supplanting Najee Harris (108 attempts for 361 yards rushing, 3.3 yards per carry; 24 receptions for 112 yards, 4.7 yards per catch) as the starter at any point this season.
“He’s a quality back that’s made some plays,” said Tomlin. “We’ll keep giving him an opportunity to do so, and maybe he’ll write that script.”
The Steelers’ offense is currently ranked 28th out of 32 teams in total yards per game (299.0), 23rd in passing yards per game (204.1), 27th in rushing yards per game (94.9) and 31st in points per game (15.0).
On an interesting note, in the last five years, the Steelers are a perfect 5-0 in their first game back off of a bye, with the last such loss coming in 2016. Pittsburgh is 11-4 overall under Tomlin in those games.
The Saints (3-6), meanwhile, are sticking with veteran Andy Dalton at quarterback. Jameis Winston was the guy in Week 1, a game in which he suffered a back injury against Atlanta. Winston started the next two games, but the lingering injury forced him to the sidelines in Week 4 to recover.
Dalton has started every game since, and when Winston was healthy and ready to go ahead of the Raiders game a couple weeks ago, New Orleans coach Dennis Allen explained his decision to stay the course with the Red Rocket.
“We’re gonna go with Andy as we sit here right now,” Allen said two weeks ago, “and if we continue to play well offensively and move the ball offensively, Andy will stay in there.”
Dalton has thrown for 1,385 yards and 10 touchdowns (5 interceptions) in his six starts in relief.
Alvin Kamara hasn’t put up the type of eye-popping numbers he has in the past, but is still a steady, playmaking weapon in the Saints backfield. He not only leads the team in rushing (443 yards on 104 carries), but is also New Orleans’ second-leading receiver on the season with 36 catches for 319 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Taysom Hill may be listed as a tight end (he’s only been targeted five times all season), but he’s been the Saints’ second-leading rusher behind Kamara, with 40 carries for 343 yards and a team-high 5 rushing touchdowns. He’s also completed 7 of 9 passes on the year for 101 yards and a touchdown.
“Look, I just work here and do what they ask,” Hill said with a smile after a four-touchdown performance against Seattle earlier in the season.
Rookie wideout Chris Olave (the 11th overall pick out of Ohio State) has burst onto the scene as a big-play downfield threat, leading the Saints with 618 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the year.
New Orleans veteran receivers Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry have combined to miss 11 games with injuries. Landry is questionable for Sunday’s game as he tries to make his way back, while Thomas went back on the IR after undergoing surgery on a toe on his right foot, and will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Injury Report
It looks as if the Steelers will have their third kicker of the season in the lineup Sunday, with starter Chris Boswell still recovering from a groin injury. Pittsburgh signed Matthew Wright off of the Chiefs’ practice squad Wednesday, a day after releasing Nick Sciba, who filled in for Boswell last time out against the Eagles. Wright played in three games for the Steelers at the end of the 2020 season.
As of Wednesday morning, Boswell is still being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, but the signing of Wright indicated he may miss more time.
Pittsburgh leading tackler Myles Jack (knee) could be limited in practice this week, according to Tomlin, while also listed as questionable are the aforementioned newly acquired Jackson III (back), along with CB Levi Wallace (shoulder), CB Josh Jackson (groin) and DT Larry Ogunjobi (knee).
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