Wednesday, November 5
Being in the right place: Linebacker Alex Highsmith won the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his role in the defense's performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
That performance included creating one of the five turnovers the defense had when he had a strip sack of Daniel Jones.
It's no surprise creating splash on defense led to the success they had on that side of the ball, shutting down the NFL's best running back, Jonathan Taylor, and allowing him only 45 yards rushing.
"Part of that is being in the right spot when the plays are to be made, and I think we were really good with the details this past week," said Highsmith. "Obviously, we didn't play perfect, and there's a lot of ways we can get better.
"But those turnovers happen because guys are in the rights spots, guys are playing hard, guys are getting after it. We know when we do that, we create turnovers, and we're a really good defense."
The performance by the defense came on the heels of two games where they allowed over 400 yards.
Turning things around was a top priority.
"First and foremost, we can have whatever scheme the coaches call, at the end of the day, we're the ones who play and we're ones who have to go in there and execute the calls," said Highsmith. "We're the ones who have to go out and be physical, get off blocks. We've got to break on the ball and stuff like that.
"So, it's little things like that, little details in every single call. I think we did a much better job this week, so we've just got to continue to build on that."
Part of the success, but not all, came from simplifying things, making the defense cleaner overall.
"We simplified the menu this week," said Highsmith. "But also, we executed really well. I think that's why we did well. Wherever we can execute what's called, that's great for us. So, we've just got to continue to play fast and play physical.
"When we get the ball, when we get turnovers, that's what it's about. So that culture has got to continue this week. We know our last prime time game against the Packers, we played terrible. This is a get back game for us on prime time this week."
Bringing the swagger: The Steelers defense historically has been one with plenty of swagger.
From the Steel Curtain days with the likes of L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Ernie Holmes and Dwight White, who all brought their unique personalities to the field, to the later Super Bowl years with players like James Harrison, Joey Porter Sr., James Farrior and more, there never was a lack of swagger.
And that same swagger exists today in the Steelers locker room.
It just needed to be brought back out.
And that's what safety Jalen Ramsey did when he addressed his teammates on Saturday night ahead of the Colts game.
"He was really talking about bringing that swagger back that that is the Steel Curtain defense," said Joey Porter Jr. "That intensity, that arrogance that we need to walk around with, everybody on the team.
"He was like, 'I'm going to bring that to my game, I just need y'all to bring that too.' So, once you set the tone like that there was no excuse but to play like that.
"I feel like everybody felt that on defense.
"Five (Ramsey) said it, just playing with that energy and that swagger, I feel that really brought the team together and what we really needed to do was just play with that confidence.
"Once you put it on tape, that's who you are. So, you just got to show it up. You've got to show that every week."
Ramsey is a player everyone is willing to listen to not just because of his resume, but also because of the sacrifice he is making for the team switching exclusively to safety after the team has been hit hard by injuries at the position.
"It just shows how much of a great teammate and a great player he is to be able to do that," said Porter. "He's an outside corner. He plays that. He's a perimeter corner out there.
"So, the fact that he can switch it up and play safety, that just shows how much of a teammate and a leader that he is."
That swagger will be needed on Sunday night when the Steelers take on the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers are 6-3 and in second place in the AFC West, another tough challenge for the defense.
But it's a challenge they welcome.
"We're always trying to do good on good," said Porter. "That's what Coach always talks about. So, the fact that it's a good opponent means we can show our skills and how much we bring to the table.
"It's going to be a good matchup. We're all excited for it. We're ready for it and we've just got to execute."
Keeping it simple worked: Last Friday when linebacker T.J. Watt was doing his normal media scrum, he said something that wasn't widely picked up on, although featured on steelers.com, until he spoke about it again after the win over the Colts on Sunday.
It was something that spoke volumes.
Watt said during practice last week the team simplified things on the defensive side of the ball.
"I think there's a way of simplifying things so we can play fast, as fast as possible and I think we've had a good week of that," said Watt on Oct. 31. "We're trying to fix what we have wrong. We have a lot of things that need to be fixed, and we're just trying to chip away at it.
"I feel we had a really good week of practice. Simplifying some things in some areas and allowing us to play fast and physical football. Trusting in each other, trusting in the plan.
"But it's all lip service if we don't go out on Sunday and perform."
It worked, and it was much more than lip service.
The defense stepped to the plate, forcing five turnovers, while special teams had one as well, and six sacks, while holding the NFL's leading rushing, Jonathan Taylor, to just 45 yards.
"I feel like we came out on a mission as a defense, and we stood on business," said rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon. "We've just got to capitalize on this week.
"Play call was a lot simpler, and guys just playing freely. Trusting the guy next to them to make a play. Once a guy makes a play, the hype, having an energy out there as a defense.
"I feel we just came out with a lot more energy the past week."
Harmon said it's possible to simplify it every week and there is a definite advantage.
"It takes the thinking out of the game," said Harmon. "You can just play ball. You can play freely and attack.
"It's fun. You're just out there playing to the wall. I feel like turnovers come in bunches, and that's what we showed last week."
Harmon continues to grow each week in the defense, quickly proving why the team selected him with their No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He wants that growth to continue.
"It's just getting better every week," said Harmon. "I feel like I'm getting better every week, week in and week out. Still got to get better on the little things.
"Just playing with little key technique things, hands, getting off blocks easier, things like that."
He will need all those techniques and then some going against a Chargers team that comes in a with solid offense led by quarterback Justin Herbert.
Herbert has completed 220 passes for 2,390 yards and 18 touchdowns through nine games, but he can also kill a defense with his running ability. He has 46 rushes for 305 yards and a touchdown.
"They've got a great quarterback back there running the offense," said Harmon. "They like to run the ball. We've got to stop the run. And then they're going to get into their passing game, and we've got to stop that also.
"(Herbert) can keep that ball and hit you for 30 yards, 50 yards, whatever, and he can throw it that far too.
"I feel like this is a big week to show that wasn't just a fluke (last week). It was real."
Words of praise for Ramsey: Safety Jalen Ramsey isn't someone you normally hear a lot from in the Steelers locker room.
He has a quiet, professional presence about him, someone who goes about his business and gets the job done.
So, when he does speak, he gets everyone's attention.
That was the case at the team hotel on Saturday night ahead of the Colts game when Ramsey addressed the team at the request of Coach Mike Tomlin.
"I asked him to, but he's not the only one," said Tomlin. "Generally, I keep those conversations between us. He's got a lot of experience, NFL experience, world championship experience.
"I'm thankful that he was willing to share that with his teammates."
One player who shares that type of experience is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And even he was impressed by Ramsey.
"Our defense played incredible after getting blasted for the last week," said Rodgers. "Really proud of them, thought the energy was great, but there was a good message (Saturday) night by Jalen, and I think the guys responded well.
"I noticed that something kind of changed when Jalen spoke. It's not easy to speak in front of the team, even when you're a player. It's unnatural. Coaches are used to it. They do it every day. Mike (Tomlin) is fantastic about it.
"Jalen went on and on. Had the attention in the room.
"He said good stuff. I'm not going to get into it. It's kind of need-to-know information. It was meaningful to me on the offensive side. I felt like we had a different energy in the locker room (Sunday).
"I think he played with an edge. The only peek into the conversation was that he wanted us to play with the edge on defense. Didn't feel like we were doing that enough. And they played with an edge for sure.
"Really thankful that Jalen is here and that he felt comfortable speaking up and then the guys responded the right way."
Back home again: The Steelers signed three players to the practice squad on Tuesday (see below), and one of them is no stranger to Coach Mike Tomlin.
Defensive back Daequan Hardy went to Penn Hills High School, just outside of Pittsburgh, and is familiar with the Tomlins, including Coach's sons Dino and Mason.
"(I've known Coach) since eighth grade," said Hardy. "I played seven-on-seven with his sons. So, I have a good relationship with him.
"It's cool. I am up for the challenge and happy to be here."
Hardy, who still makes his offseason home in Pittsburgh, played college football with Joey Porter Jr. and Pat Freiermuth at Penn State.
He also grew up in a family where wearing black and gold is the norm.
"My whole family are diehard Steelers fans," said Hardy. "They can't wait to get a jersey."
Hardy, who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, has a lot of work ahead of him getting to know the Steelers defense, but he is up for whatever is asked of him.
"It's good to be here and I'm happy to be here," said Hardy. "They wanted to bring me in, and I am here now.
"Whatever they ask me to do. If they want me to play defensive back. If they want me to return. I am just here to help the team. I can play it all, safety, nickel, corner, whatever they ask me to do, I will do.
"I have to get up to speed with the other guys. I am looking forward to that. I am just happy to be here. Wherever they want to put me, I am glad to do it."
Changes all around: The Steelers made multiple roster moves in the last 24 hours, adding three new players to their practice squad.
The team signed reciever Marquez Valdes-Scantling, defensive back Daequan Hardy and linebacker Mark Robinson to the practice squad.
Valdes-Scantling was originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the 174th overall selection.
Valdes-Scantling was most recently with the San Francisco 49ers, signing with their practice squad prior to the start of the 2025 season. He appeared in five games for the 49ers, with four receptions for 40 yards. He was eventually placed on the Reserve/Injured List.
In eight seasons he has appeared in 111 games with the Packers (2018-21), Kansas City Chiefs (2022-23), Buffalo Bills (2024), New Orleans Saints (2024) and San Francisco 49ers (2025). He has 209 receptions for 3,606 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also has 10 carries for 52 yards.
Valdes-Scantling has appeared in 11 postseason games, starting seven, with 24 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns.
He began his college career at North Carolina State, before transferring to South Florida for two seasons.
Hardy was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, spending the season on the practice squad.
Hardy played college football at Penn State where he appeared in 48 games, starting five. He had 60 tackles, 40 of them solo stops, 25 passes defensed, seven and a half tackles for a loss, five interceptions, three and a half sacks, and a forced fumble. He also returned punts and kickoffs for the Nittany Lions. He finished tied for fourth in school history with two punt returns for a touchdown, both of them taking place his senior season against the University of Massachusetts.
Robinson was drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft and has spent time on the team's active roster and practice squad, before being released at the start of the 2025 seasons.
In his first three seasons with the team he played in 38 games, starting four. He has recorded 34 tackles, 23 of them solo stops, one tackle for a loss, one sack and two forced fumbles.
Robinson played in all 17 games in 2024, starting two of them, while mainly seeing time on special teams. In 2023 he also played in all 17 games, with two starts. He recorded 25 tackles, 19 of them solo stops, one quarterback hit, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble.
The team released defensive back Beanie Bishop, defensive end K.J. Henry and receiver John Rhys Plumlee from the practice squad.
Reunited and it feels so good: Now that he's signed on with the Steelers' practice squad, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and quarterback Aaron Rodgers are teammates again, as they had been with the Packers from 2018 through 2021.
To hear Valdes-Scantling tell it, Rodgers had everything to do with the reunion.
"This guy next to me got me here," Valdes-Scantling said after practice, gesturing at Rodgers and his adjacent locker at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "He's been trying to get me around since we left Green Bay. "I'm excited. It's a new opportunity. I'm grateful for it, excited to see what the rest of the year looks like."
Valdes-Scantling arrives with 111 career NFL regular-season games, 68 starts, 209 catches, 3,606 receiving yards, a 17.3-yard average per catch and 20 receiving touchdowns under his belt.
He caught 123 of those passes for 2,153 yards (a 17.5 average) and 13 touchdowns while playing with Rodgers in Green Bay. But the on-the-field success the two shared is only a part of a relationship the two began to forge after the Packers drafted Valdes-Scantling on the fifth round in 2018.
"He's one of my closest friends," Valdes-Scantling emphasized. "He was one of the first people to introduce himself to me and tell me he was a fan of me when I got into the facility in Green Bay. I'll never forget that moment.
"The outside media loves to try to tear him down and say he's not this and he's a terrible teammate. You ask anybody that's ever been around him, they can never say any bad things about it. Anybody I've ever been around has said nothing but good things.
"I got to spend four years with him and have no bad words to say about who he is as a person or as a player. He's done noting but take people under his wings and show people how to be pros."
Rodgers the player is "the best to ever play this game, man, so it's pretty easy when you got that guy under center," Valdez-Scantling continued. "To be on the same page, we built a great rapport over the four years that we got to play together. Like I said, he's one of the closest friends in this NFL thing that I've made. He's taught me a lot.
"Just being able to be around him again and get some more knowledge four years late, I'm excited about it. For sure, he won't ever change, and I love that about him. No matter where he goes, no matter who he's around, he's gonna always be himself, bring people up to his caliber of play and help people win games."
Valdez-Scantling caught four passes for 40 yards in five games with San Francisco this season but doesn't consider his 49ers experience indicative of where his game is at 31.
"I know I can still play in this league," he said.
-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta
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