Friday, December 5

Knowing each other well: Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium isn't going to be anything linebacker T.J. Watt doesn't expect.

He knows they will use their run game, with all-everything Derrick Henry leading the way and quarterback Lamar Jackson the multi-dimensional threat.

"We know these guys, they know us," said Watt. "It's divisional play. It's Steelers versus Ravens.

"Everybody knows what you're going to get.

"It's just hard-nosed football."

Watt knows being on their details is a key this week as this game has a lot on the line with both teams having identical 6-6 records and fighting for the lead in the AFC North.

"We need to have every man in their gap, every man coming up making plays," said Watt. "Doing our jobs. Once we get hats to the ball trying to create turnovers, things like that.

"Every man in their gap. Stuff I talk about every week. There's nothing mystical to it. Every man in their gap coming down making plays, getting hats to the football, breaking at the football.

"Standard defensive plays."

With the familiarity the two teams share, it means plenty of film to watch, including film of the Steelers loss to the Ravens in the AFC Wild Card game last year.

While there are differences for both teams this year, the scheme is still the same.

"It's good film to watch," said Watt. "Anytime you have three games in one year against a team, it's a lot of good film to watch, especially when you have two of them, one in December, one in January.

"It's all good film to watch, especially from a matchup standpoint. Obviously, they're a different team, we're a different team, but schematically you can kind of see some things that they could potentially do against us."

And much of what they 'could potentially do' will come from Jackson. While he has been dealing with injuries, including missing practice on Thursday with an ankle injury, Watt knows Lamar will always be Lamar.

"I'm approaching him, and we're approaching him like he's Lamar that we've known this whole time," said Watt. "The guy's dynamic. He has a dynamic runner next to him (Henry), he has dynamic playmakers, they have a really stout offensive line.

"So, there's a lot of weapons and he's playing really good football."

It's heating up: It's the time of year when it's not just football, it's December football.

Games take on a different meaning as teams are in the final push for postseason play.

"It's the sense of urgency," said tight end Pat Freiermuth. "The sense of winning games."

That sense of urgency isn't lost in the Steelers locker room.

"Just like Mike T(omlin) said, the road is narrow and the games mean a lot in December," said cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. "You've got to make sure that you come out on top if you want to make a run for it.

"These are the games that count. Every game counts, we all know that, but these mean a little bit more."

December kicks off with an AFC North matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, one that has first place in the division on the line.

"You can't be making the same mistakes that you were making in September," said linebacker Payton Wilson. "Obviously, people are trying to make playoff pushes so everybody's going to be bringing their best schematically the way they play.

"Everything just heats up a little more."

Counting his blessings: Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. went from playing in his first game in over year as a practice squad elevation against the Bills to being signed to the 53-man roster in a matter of days.

And he is counting his blessings for all of it.

"It's a blessing," said Samuel. "It's been a long time coming and I'm just humbled and grateful for the opportunity. I just thank God for the blessing."

Samuel underwent spinal fusion surgery this past offseason, missing time in 2024 when he was limited to just four games.

When he was cleared to return to the field this past November, he was signed to the Steelers practice squad. He was elevated for the Bills game, and it's all been uphill since then.

"That's always been the goal," said Samuel. "Coming from the Chargers, playing all those years over there and just coming back from the injury. I just want to take it day by day.

"It's a blessing. A lot of people came back from it, and I was one of those ones, God blessed me. When you come back, you don't take anything for granted. I'm just thankful."

Samuel said he is continuing to learn things in the defense on a daily basis and just wants to do his part.

"I'm just anxious to go out there and compete at a high level with some great guys and a great team," said Samuel. "I'm taking it day by day. There are always new calls coming. I'm still steady learning. I always try to improve with that.

"I'm just taking it day by day right now. I'm just trying to maximize each and every day. I am grateful for every opportunity that's presented to me."

Let's get physical: It's no secret the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is one of the most physical ones in football, and this offseason the Steelers added physical players to their roster for games just like this.

One of those is rookie linebacker Jack Sawyer.

Sawyer himself understands the importance of building a physical roster, and he sees it around the league.

"When you look across the league, when you look at the way franchises and organizations draft, that's got a lot to do with who they play twice a year in their division," said Sawyer. "So, when you play the Baltimore Ravens or the Browns and the Bengals twice a year, stopping the run and having big physical players is at the forefront.

"We've got a great challenge ahead of us this week. A good opportunity to get back on the field and play up to our standard."

Sawyer, like others on defense, wasn't happy with the outcome of last week's game against the Buffalo Bills when they allowed 249 yards rushing.

This week it doesn't get any easier with the Ravens Derrick Henry. Sawyer said there are some things they need to clean up, but overall, he feels like it's something they can do.

"There are some little, minute things that we can clean up that'll shore up that stuff that we're missing in some areas against the run," said Sawyer. "I don't think it necessarily comes down to our physicality because we've got physical guys and we're playing physical.

"I think it's just staying in our gaps a little bit or knowing our assignments and just playing a little cleaner football up front.

"So, I think we're going to get back to it this week."

Knowing what's ahead: One player who knows exactly what to expect from the Steelers-Ravens rivalry this week is linebacker Malik Harrison.

Harrison signed with the Steelers this offseason as an unrestricted free agent after originally being drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent the last five seasons with the Ravens, appearing in 76 career games, while starting 35 for them.

Harrison understands the challenges the Ravens offense presents with quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.

"They are a big running team, and then they've got a quarterback who can run," said Harrison. "It's Derrick Henry, so it's going to be a big test."

Harrison has experienced the physical aspect of this rivalry and it's one he feels like he is built for.

"We've got the guys to be physical," said Harrison. "We've just got to go out there and do it. You see it in practice, in training camp, physicality.

"That's something I take pride in. That's the reason why I'm here."

The Steelers and Ravens both come into the game with 6-6 records, while coming off a loss. Sunday's game will be a test for both teams.

"We just got to bounce back," said Harrison.

"It's always going to be a tough game, no matter what. We know this game is a big one for both cities."

Cast your vote: Pro Bowl Games voting is underway in the NFL and there are multiple Steelers players ranked in the Top 10 in votes at their respective positions.

Among those players in the Top 10 are special teams standout Ben Skowronek, who is second, as well as linebacker T.J. Watt, who is fourth, at their positions. In addition, fullback Connor Heyward is fifth, free safety Jalen Ramsey is eighth and kicker Chris Boswell is 10^th.

Voting is now open for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, presented by Verizon. The Pro Bowl Games will be held on Tuesday, February 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as part of Super Bowl LX week.

Fans can vote as often as they would like to send Steelers players to the Pro Bowl Games from now until December 15. Fan votes count for one-third of the overall votes, along with player and coaches votes each counting for one third as well.

Social voting – Fans can vote directly on "X" (formerly Twitter) by posting the first and last name of the player, tagging the player's official X handle or creating a hashtag including the player's first and last name. All three of these methods must include either #ProBowlVote or Pro Bowl Vote. During the final two days (Dec. 14-15), social votes will count as double.

Madden Mobile – New this year, fans can access Pro Bowl Games voting on Madden NFL 26 Mobile through the Pro Bowl event tile in the Madden Mobile Ultimate Team™ mode. Votes can be made using Ballot Tokens (up to 30 per day) and Ballot Tokens reset daily at 10:30 a.m. ET. Votes on Madden Mobile also count double during the final two days of voting (Dec. 14-15).

The Pro Bowl Games will once again feature a flag football game and other fun, competitive events. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the game starting at 8 p.m.

-->> Vote for Steelers players for the Pro Bowl Games

Bringing you the action: For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place.

**Sign up today**.

Thursday, December 4

Proving it to himself: Receiver Adam Thielen hasn't had much time with his new team yet, but he is taking advantage of every minute, including spending time on the field long after practice ends.

"The more that I can actually hear a call, line up, talk about what I have, talk about the entire concept helps," said Thielen. "So not just what the Z has, or just what the F has, but what everybody has. The more that I can do that, the more I'm going to be ready for a game. Because at the end of the day, you can look at a play call, you can look at a picture of the play, but until you actually hear it, have to line up and then execute it. And then on top of that, all the different checks and things that you can get to in different situations. I need to be dialed in on all that.

"So, just thankful that I've got a lot of great teammates that are staying after and walking through those plays with me and talking, both the backup quarterbacks just going through a bunch of stuff with me has been fantastic and really starting to feel more comfortable. Every time I get those walkthrough reps makes me feel more comfortable."

Thielen, who was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings this week, brings plenty of experience with him as he is in his 12th NFL season.

He is also hoping he can make an impact on the team, but he knows it's going to take work.

"At this point, just really focused on what I can control," said Theilen. "And that's learning this playbook as fast as possible. I want to make an impact today. I'm not even worried about Sunday right now. I want to make an impact today by being prepared, being mentally prepared and physically prepared. And then at the end of the day, I'm a big believer that you've got to go prove it every day.

"You can't show up somewhere and just be given an opportunity. You have to go prove what you can do, how you can make an impact, so then they believe in you and trust in you and can give you those opportunities.

"So, for me, it's just going out there every day like I'm a rookie minicamp tryout guy and trying to prove what I can do and whatever they see that fit is, I'm ready for it.

"I've got to prove it to myself first. In the classroom just being really confident and knowing my stuff, knowing the different checks, knowing the different alerts. I think just making sure that they're comfortable with what I know and how well I know it and then see what happens."

Urgency and pride: Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward has seen a lot in his 15 seasons with the Steelers.

And he can use a lot of what he has seen with some of the younger players on the defense to reinforce to them how they can turn the tide, starting this week against the Baltimore Ravens.

"I think it starts with your habits," said Heyward. "Get back to just good technique. And you play with energy. I think with our group, we have the makings of a good roster.

"We don't have to look around. We take care of our business. We control our destiny."

Heyward was asked about the 2024 season, when the Steelers lost the last four games, and how to avoid that kind of slide.

He said the answer is simple.

"I think we all got to play better," said Heyward. "You look at that stretch, we had a string of games where we just didn't play our best ball, whether it's winning the turnover battle, winning the rushing battle, controlling the sudden change."

Heyward knows the defense spent a lot of time on the field last week against the Bills, and he is getting a lot of snaps.

But that isn't slowing him down.

"A lot left in the tank," said Heyward. "You sign up to play football. You don't sign up to count heartbeats. We've got to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

"You've seen teams. You look at that Super Bowl (XL) in '05. They had to have a string of games late to qualify for the playoffs.

"One, you've got to get off the field. Two, whatever comes in front of you, you've got to go out and attack."

This is the first meeting of the season against the Ravens, and the last one is a game that didn't go the Steelers way when Derrick Henry ran for 186 yards, and the Ravens 299 overall, in a Wild Card round loss.

While that game is in the rearview mirror, they still want to make sure the results are different this week.

And how will they?

"Urgency, pride in what you do," said Heyward. "And understand that they're going to try and duplicate it. So, all those things come to mind.

"We can only answer on Sunday. But we got to prepare that way.

"We look at Derrick Henry when he gets started, he has a lot of success. So, it's about getting multiple guys on the ball, staying in our gaps, being patient. A couple of times you look at the game last year, we weren't patient enough and let the ball come straight to you.

"Get multiple guys to the ball. He will make one or two guys miss. But you can get four or five guys, shoot, I'd love to see 11 at the ball. When you have multiple hitters, you can't juke them all."

Understanding the history: The Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, a fierce rivalry that has even more meaning this week with first place in the AFC North on the line.

There are some newcomers to the rivalry in the Steelers locker room, but they already know plenty about it.

"As a football fan, I heard about it a lot," said cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who was signed to the active roster from the practice squad this week. "Just seeing all the highlights and games over the course of the years.

"It's a great rivalry. A lot of great players in the game. I'm glad to be a part of it.

"I'm going to go hard and do whatever I have to do for us to win."

Samuel has faced Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the past, and he understands what he brings to the game.

If he is activated again this week, he will be ready.

"I played the Ravens twice in my career," said Samuel. "Great team, great quarterback.

"It's going to be a good game."

It's that time of year: With the season heating up, and December football upon the NFL, it comes as no surprise that the Steelers have a key AFC North game against the Baltimore Ravens this week.

Coach Mike Tomlin loves it.

"I really enjoy the structure that is today's NFL scheduling," said Tomlin. "The excitement associated around these division games, the weight on them, not only for us and Baltimore, but just globally speaking.

"We felt it a year ago. We had some big games against them in the latter part of the year as well.

"I think it's good for football. It's good for our fan base. It's good for their fan base. It's an honor to be a part of it.

"Certainly, it provides an edge for us, an urgency for us as we prepare. We've been in hotly contested battles with this group in the past, and I see no reason why this weekend won't be the same.

"There's certainly a lot at stake."

That there is.

The Steelers and Ravens are both 6-6, fighting for first place in the AFC North.

The key this week is moving forward from Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, and everything associated with it, including some of the frustration from players that led to penalties.

"A component of moving on from that is executing better," said Tomlin. "When you execute better, you make more plays, frustration becomes less of an issue. So certainly, first and foremost, as we lean in on this week, man, our focus is performing at a high level, doing a better job strategically, doing a better job of dividing the labor up, and then ultimately letting that lead to doing a better job of play.

"Really there's a rhythm to it in recent weeks, particularly in Chicago and last week, but it doesn't make it any easier, obviously, to identify and move on from. Certainly, when you have the lead at halftime and you're getting the ball to come out to start the second half, there's generally a good feel there, but we haven't done enough with the football to start second halves, and we haven't done enough to defend the grass once we turn the ball over. That could be descriptive of how things unfolded in Chicago, and it certainly is a description of how things unfolded last week. We talk about it, we learn from it, but equally as important, we roll our sleeves up and go to work.

"How do you get that synergy? How do you get the confidence? How do you get the cohesion required to win? You tighten up your plan. You delve into things that you've spent more time in and things that you hadn't. You make sure that guys are in position to work in a coordinated fashion in all three phases.

"So, we're making some very pointed decisions as we lay the foundation for this plan this week, but I imagine Baltimore is doing similar things.

"We both sit at 6-6. Both of those positions come with some scars certainly, but they need to come with some lessons learned as well. I think the team that displays the ability to apply those lessons best is going to be the team that's going to be in position to control this game and thus be in control of the North."

Study group: The periodic get-togethers comprised by Aaron Rodgers and his pass-catchers that are taking place away from The UPMC Sports Complex provide an opportunity for teammates to bond, and also for the veteran quarterback to drop a little knowledge.

I feel like it's both," wide receiver Calvin Austin III maintained. "Any time you're outside the facility, that's the bonding part, even if you are talking X's & O's. To be outside the facility and spending time that isn't mandatory together is a form of bonding. So it's both."

The meetings take place after the close of normal business hours and at this point of the season occur on an almost weekly basis.

"It's become that, I'd say," Austin continued. "We've done that throughout the whole year, whether it's dinner or just getting together to watch ball. We've done that in many forms. We've never felt like, 'OK, we've gotta do this.' Obviously, we spend the majority of our day here going over those things. We always feel like we're ready. But when you're with a Hall of Fame quarterback there's stuff past the X,Y and Z that he can give you that can not only help put you in position to make a play but help the team win."

Although attendance is voluntary, Austin can't get enough when an additional opportunity to interact with Rodgers is involved.

"He can't share all of his knowledge just within 8-to-5 when we're in the building," Austin said. "It's just about getting all those nuggets from him. We meet with No. 8 a lot, I'll just say that. We meet with him a lot. Throughout the week we get a lot of tools and tips from No. 8."

This week's event also included a celebration of Rodgers' 42nd birthday on Tuesday.

"A little bit," Austin confirmed. "At the end of the day we're humans, we're friends, we're boys. You don't want to just go through this life and just skip that. Life is about celebrating with the people you love, the people that we're blessed to play this game with."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

Cast your vote: Pro Bowl Games voting is underway in the NFL and there are multiple Steelers players ranked in the Top 10 in votes at their respective positions.

Among those players in the Top 10 are special teams standout Ben Skowronek, who is second, as well as linebacker T.J. Watt, who is fourth, at their positions. In addition, fullback Connor Heyward is fifth, free safety Jalen Ramsey is eighth and kicker Chris Boswell is 10^th.

Voting is now open for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, presented by Verizon. The Pro Bowl Games will be held on Tuesday, February 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as part of Super Bowl LX week.

Fans can vote as often as they would like to send Steelers players to the Pro Bowl Games from now until December 15. Fan votes count for one-third of the overall votes, along with player and coaches votes each counting for one third as well.

Social voting – Fans can vote directly on "X" (formerly Twitter) by posting the first and last name of the player, tagging the player's official X handle or creating a hashtag including the player's first and last name. All three of these methods must include either #ProBowlVote or Pro Bowl Vote. During the final two days (Dec. 14-15), social votes will count as double.

Madden Mobile – New this year, fans can access Pro Bowl Games voting on Madden NFL 26 Mobile through the Pro Bowl event tile in the Madden Mobile Ultimate Team™ mode. Votes can be made using Ballot Tokens (up to 30 per day) and Ballot Tokens reset daily at 10:30 a.m. ET. Votes on Madden Mobile also count double during the final two days of voting (Dec. 14-15).

The Pro Bowl Games will once again feature a flag football game and other fun, competitive events. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the game starting at 8 p.m.

-->> Vote for Steelers players for the Pro Bowl Games

Bringing you the action: For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place.

**Sign up today**.

Wednesday, December 3

Ready for an intense rivalry: It doesn't take years of being a part of the rivalry to understand what the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is all about.

It literally can just take one team meeting to get a feel for it.

"Just the clips that Mike T(omlin) showed us in the team room and then the conversations around the locker room, I can feel like this is a very intense rivalry," said receiver DK Metcalf. "It's my first time going in there, but I am treating it like every other game.

"We've still got to put points on the board. We've still got to outscore the other team.

"So that's what I'm looking forward to. And that's how I'm viewing this game."

Metcalf isn't someone who has paid attention to the rivalry through the years.

But he does know both teams have a strong history.

"I really don't have any memories of the game because they weren't my favorite team growing up," said Metcalf. "But they have had a lot of Hall of Famers come from both organizations. These are two historic organizations with Super Bowls under their belt. So yeah, I'm just happy to be a part of it."

Metcalf knows for the game to come out in the Steelers favor, there is going to have to be more production from the offense.

Last week the Bills had a time of possession edge of 41:59 to 18:01 for the Steelers. That was one of the takeaways from watching film and something they want to turn around.

"Number one, we got to keep our defense off the field," said Metcalf. "They can't be on the field for the 40 plus minutes and expect them to stop anybody. We've got to hold up our end of the bargain.

"And that's putting points on the board. Maintaining the ball to where they can go out there and get three and outs so we can get the ball back and put points on the board.

"So, we've just got to do a better job at doing that."

Metcalf said the best way to turn around the inconsistency in the offense is everyone looking in the mirror.

"Just looking at ourselves in the mirror and telling ourselves we haven't done what we need to do this whole season," said Metcalf. "I think we've let a lot of bad mistakes get covered up by our defense's five turnovers, or defense always bailed us out of games.

"We've been doing it all year, so we've just got to clean it up.

"I'm a very optimistic person. We're going to clean it up."

A sense of urgency: The Steelers made some changes to their roster on Tuesday, including claiming receiver Adam Thielen off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings.

The 12-year veteran can bring a new twist to the Steelers passing game, and it's a welcome addition for tight end Pat Freiermuth.

"I just met him today for the first time," said Freiermuth. "Obviously, a heck of a career in the NFL. Anyone that we can bring in to help us win games, it's much appreciated."

Freiermuth understands why the team made moves, which also included signing cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and waiving veteran cornerback Darius Slay.

He knows there are five games remaining in the season, and it's time to make a move.

"We've known that the urgency's about to pick up," said Freiermuth. "We understand what's ahead of us and look forward to competing in Baltimore."

Steelers-Ravens games are ones that always bring the urgency, and Freiermuth welcomes it.

"Just all the history in it," said Freiermuth. "It's definitely my favorite game playing. And obviously, with the recent history of us losing to them in the Wild Card in Baltimore.

"There's a lot of urgency in this game and we're excited for it."

Creating excitement: Any time it's Steelers-Ravens, you know it's going to be a battle.

And that is exactly what Coach Mike Tomlin expects on Sunday when the Steelers travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

The two teams are familiar with each other playing in the AFC North, but there are always changes.

"They're familiar with us, we're familiar with them," said Tomlin. "It creates excitement. It creates excitement around the strategic planning. It's fun to have knowledge of this group but watch how they've evolved over the course of the journey.

"We all evolve for a variety of reasons. The elevation of individual players, the emergence of individual players, the attrition component of the game as you miss people and adapt schematically, and from a division of labor standpoint to make up for that.

"Excited about the prep in terms of what lies ahead this week. I'm excited about getting in front of our guys and laying out a plan and working that plan and taking it to Baltimore AFC North football with a division lead on the line."

What lies ahead for the Steelers is multiple major threats on offense for the Ravens, including quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. But it isn't just those two.

"We're talking about a legendary runner of this generation in Derrick Henry," said Tomlin. "We're talking about some schematics and some personnel that really highlight that agenda. Coupled with our present state with the performance we just came off of regarding the run, I believe that focus is justified and appropriate.

"But they do have some dangerous people on the perimeter. I like their division of labor from a receiver standpoint. Zay Flowers obviously is a good receiver. He's dangerous off the catch. He's going to make you miss. (Rashod) Bateman and D (DeAndre Hopkins) are veteran guys who know what they're doing. D-Hop, can't say enough about him in terms of 50-50 matchups and the things he provided from a one-on-one perspective. The tight ends and the running game, Mark Andrews, him and Lamar [Jackson] have been partners in this thing since they got drafted in the same draft class. I think he's Baltimore's all-time leading receiving touchdown guy. He's certainly still a major component of what they do in the red area.

"But the ball goes to and through Lamar. His ability to extend and make plays, his ability to run, particularly in situational moments, is and always has been a challenge. We failed some at that challenge a week ago against Josh Allen. So, for those reasons, we're really working with an edge in preparation for this one."

Singularly focused: In assessing what transpired against Buffalo and anticipating what's about to against Baltimore, outside linebacker Alex Highsmith kept emphasizing the critical importance of physicality.

"Just overall we weren't physical enough," Highsmith said in the wake of the Steelers allowing 249 rushing yards in last Sunday's 26-7 loss to the Bills. "To be a great run defense we gotta be physical and play with that mindset. We obviously didn't play with it (against Buffalo). We played good in the first half and then in the second half we all saw what happened.

"We just gotta finish. We know the type of defense we can be, we just gotta go out there and play like it."

Highsmith acknowledged there were times the Steelers ended up misaligned or beaten by scheme for whatever reason by the Buffalo running game. But those instances weren't the determining factor in Buffalo's success on the ground, Highsmith maintained.

"At the end of the day, run-stopping is all about a mindset," he said. "It's about you whipping the man in front of you and getting off blocks and making the tackle. We know we have a good running team this week in Baltimore, we know what they bring. Obviously, we had a bad performance last year in the playoffs when we went there last time. We have to play a lot better than we did. It starts with a mindset of being physical and getting off blocks."

The Ravens rushed for 299 yards on the way to a 28-14 victory over the Steelers in an AFC Wild Card Game last Jan. 11 at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore rushed for 220 yards in a 34-17 victory over the Steelers last Dec. 21 at home. Running back Derrick Henry accounted for a combined 348 rushing yards in the two games.

"Obviously, it fuels us for this game," Highsmith said. "We had two disappointing performances there last year. We know this is a big rivalry. We know it's going to be a physical and intense game. That just fuels us because we know we're a lot better team than the past couple times when we played them.

"We just gotta go out there with that mindset, just get after it from the jump and through four quarters."

Last season's playoff loss hasn't been forgotten. It's also been reviewed this week.

"We watched some of it," Highsmith said. "We still take things from that game, found out ways we can be better from that game. It still stinks. To finish the way we did last year, in that venue, to allow 300 rushing yards is unacceptable. That's something I think that's fueling us for this week. At the end of the day we're still tied for first in the AFC North. The division's on the line so we gotta play like it.

"I think we have a good gameplan going into the week. We're gonna change some things we did last year because, obviously, they had 300 rushing yards against us. I just think it's about a mentality going in and whipping the man in front of you."

The Steelers held the Colts, currently ranked No. 6 in the NFL in rushing at 134.4 yards per game, to 55 yards on the ground on Nov. 2. So it's not as if they're incapable of shutting down a high-end rushing attack, despite their inability to do so against Buffalo.

"You look at those two films, the difference in them, we just did a better job of whipping blocks, making tackles, being gap-sound and everyone just doing their job and trusting the guy beside you to do their job," Highsmith said. "We all just gotta trust each other that we're gonna do our job, and then go make the play."

-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

Cast your vote: Pro Bowl Games voting is underway in the NFL and there are multiple Steelers players ranked in the Top 10 in votes at their respective positions.

Among those players in the Top 10 are special teams standout Ben Skowronek, who is second, as well as linebacker T.J. Watt, who is fourth, at their positions. In addition, fullback Connor Heyward is fifth, free safety Jalen Ramsey is eighth and kicker Chris Boswell is 10^th.

Voting is now open for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, presented by Verizon. The Pro Bowl Games will be held on Tuesday, February 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as part of Super Bowl LX week.

Fans can vote as often as they would like to send Steelers players to the Pro Bowl Games from now until December 15. Fan votes count for one-third of the overall votes, along with player and coaches votes each counting for one third as well.

Social voting – Fans can vote directly on "X" (formerly Twitter) by posting the first and last name of the player, tagging the player's official X handle or creating a hashtag including the player's first and last name. All three of these methods must include either #ProBowlVote or Pro Bowl Vote. During the final two days (Dec. 14-15), social votes will count as double.

Madden Mobile – New this year, fans can access Pro Bowl Games voting on Madden NFL 26 Mobile through the Pro Bowl event tile in the Madden Mobile Ultimate Team™ mode. Votes can be made using Ballot Tokens (up to 30 per day) and Ballot Tokens reset daily at 10:30 a.m. ET. Votes on Madden Mobile also count double during the final two days of voting (Dec. 14-15).

The Pro Bowl Games will once again feature a flag football game and other fun, competitive events. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the game starting at 8 p.m.

-->> Vote for Steelers players for the Pro Bowl Games

Bringing you the action: For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place.

**Sign up today**.

Monday, December 1

Maximizing every day: Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. saw his first action in a Steelers uniform on Sunday against the Bills, and it was the first game he played in over a year after having fusion surgery this offseason.

He got the word on Saturday that he would be activated and said while it went well for him physically, it was all about the outcome.

"They said stay ready," said Samuel. "Just take it play by play.

"We didn't win. So that's my main focus, getting the win.

"It was like riding a bike. Just getting my feet under me, just little things like that. But I felt good, we just didn't win. So that was the main focus."

Samuel, who was signed to the Steelers practice squad on Nov. 12, was elevated to the Active/Inactive roster for the game.

He played 38% of the defensive snaps, likely seeing more action with James Pierre dealing with an injury in-game.

"I was good," said Samuel of his conditioning. "I've been working hard since I got here, and then before I got here, I was working hard, making sure my conditioning was up to date.

"So, it's a little different on the field, but I felt like I was good."

If he is activated again this week for the Ravens game, Samuel said he needs to do everything he can to pitch in and do his part to get the win.

"Just do whatever I can do," said Samuel. "Just work hard, maximize each and every day.

"We just got to be better as a team, as a group. Just go get better. Take it one day at a time and focus on the next game. The most important game is the next game."

The Steelers have lost their last two games, and Samuel said the key right now is just sticking together, something he doesn't think is an issue.

"Sticking together and just maximize each and every day," said Samuel. "It's still five games. We win the next five and everything turns around and nobody will have any questions or any doubts.

"So, we've just got to take it one game at a time."

Samuel believes this team can bounce back, and he saw it happen when he was with the Chargers.

"My second year, we were kind of in the same boat, and then we won out and went to the playoffs," said Samuel. "So, I've seen it happen. With the team that we have, the players and coaches we have, it's far from over.

"So, we've just got to maximize each and every day."

Bringing the urgency: The Bills rushed for 249 yards against the Steelers defense on Sunday, with James Cook racking up 144 yards on 32 carries.

Those aren't numbers the defense likes to see, but the goal is to correct the problem this week before heading to Baltimore to take on the Ravens, who have their own running powerhouse in Derrick Henry.

"It's not playing up to our standard, all of us, and myself included," said linebacker Jack Sawyer. "So, it comes down to getting back to work and showing up ready to play and putting our best stuff out there on the field every play.

"I think it's always frustrating when opposing offenses are having success running the football on our defense because we've got some of the best players in the world to ever do it. I think that just comes down to doing our assignment and playing collectively better. Just getting back to work.

"Sometimes an NFL player is going to make plays and that happens. But I think that we can be a lot better. And I know we will be."

Sawyer knows the defense has the capability to shut down some of the top backs in the game.

It's just a matter of doing it consistently.

"There's been sometimes where you see it, and it's like wow, that's what it's supposed to look like," said Sawyer. "We've completely shut some of the best running backs in the league out and play good team football on defense.

"That's the standard here, excellence. We're always chasing that and when we fall short of it, we're going to get back to the basics and get back to work and figure out how we can do that."

Sawyer said it's some little things they need to clean up to get back on track, and to do that, they have to approach this week knowing there are only five games left to get where they want to be.

"We've got to come to work eager and with a sense of urgency," said Sawyer. "You can sense it even today. Being able to come to work and have a sense of urgency and know what's at stake right now with these games moving forward and showing up ready for the challenges at hand this week."

Team bonding: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers never shies away from film study.

He does it while at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex during scheduled meetings, and on his own time on off days.

He does it at home in his free time.

He does it when the team is on the road.

And he always welcomes players into the fold.

Receiver Roman Wilson said Rodgers has players over to his house once a week to watch film, something that is a help.

"He opened his house up so we can watch film there and it's a great addition," said Wilson. "I'm open to whatever he wants.

"He takes care of us. We eat a little bit. Team bonding and we watch film."

Cast your vote: Steelers fans, get out and vote.

Voting is now open for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, presented by Verizon. The Pro Bowl Games will be held on Tuesday, February 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as part of Super Bowl LX week.

Fans can vote as often as they would like to send Steelers players to the Pro Bowl Games from now until December 15. Fan votes count for one-third of the overall votes, along with player and coaches votes each counting for one third as well.

Social voting – Fans can vote directly on "X" (formerly Twitter) by posting the first and last name of the player, tagging the player's official X handle or creating a hashtag including the player's first and last name. All three of these methods must include either #ProBowlVote or Pro Bowl Vote. During the final two days (Dec. 14-15), social votes will count as double.

Madden Mobile – New this year, fans can access Pro Bowl Games voting on Madden NFL 26 Mobile through the Pro Bowl event tile in the Madden Mobile Ultimate Team™ mode. Votes can be made using Ballot Tokens (up to 30 per day) and Ballot Tokens reset daily at 10:30 a.m. ET. Votes on Madden Mobile also count double during the final two days of voting (Dec. 14-15).

The Pro Bowl Games will once again feature a flag football game and other fun, competitive events. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the game starting at 8 p.m.

-->> Vote for Steelers players for the Pro Bowl Games

Bringing you the action: For fans who don't want to miss any of the action, NFL+ is here, which means you can now watch the Steelers live and on the go! Watch live local and primetime regular season games on mobile, plus NFL RedZone, NFL Network, live audio and more - all in one place.

**Sign up today**.