A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers and Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete and dedicated article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys. The same as our recent Depot Daily but now late at night to better capture the news of the day.
Your Depot After Dark for Oct. 5.
Dick Butkus Dead At 80
Though not truly Pittsburgh Steelers related, we have to pass along the sad news that former Chicago Bears LB and Hall of Famer Dick Butkus has died. He was 80. The Bears confirmed Thursday reports that Butkus died in his sleep at his California home overnight.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued this statement after the news was reported.
A Bear from 1965 to 1973, Butkus made eight Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams. Regarded as one of the most physical and intimidating players of all-time, his coverage ability was underrated and he intercepted 27 passes, only five fewer than Troy Polamalu had in his Steelers’ career.
Here is Butkus sacking Steelers QB Dick Shiner in a 1969 38-7 win over Pittsburgh.
Butkus was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame four years later after a great career at Illinois. A true Chicago man through and through.
Keeanu Benton BFFs with PFF
Despite a Pittsburgh Steelers run defense that is ranked one of the worst in football, rookie DL Keeanu Benton has been a bright spot. The second-round pick is Pro Football Focus ninth-highest graded player from the 2023 draft class. On tape, he’s shown active hands, fluid hips, and improved strength against the run. It’s possible he sees an expanded role this weekend, playing defensive end in addition to nose tackle.
Archived Rooney Interviews
It’s not entirely clear why these were dropped today but Pittsburgh-based news station WTAE released two archived Steelers interviews earlier Thursday. One with “The Chief,” Art Rooney was filmed in February 1981 and another with Dan Rooney was filmed in 2007 shortly after he released his autobiography.
They’re very cool time capsules worth checking out.
Steelers’ Remaining Schedule
Sitting at 2-2, the Steelers’ road doesn’t get a whole lot easier the rest of the way. According to Pro Football Network, Pittsburgh has the 19th-hardest schedule the rest of the way, facing teams with a winning percentage of .481.
These types of stats don’t mean much, the NFL changes so quickly and injuries can dramatically alter the landscape of a team, but it’s more useful to look at these numbers a month into the season. The Dallas Cowboys are considered to have the hardest remaining schedule while the Atlanta Falcons have the “easiest.”
Pickett’s Ugly Ranking
Kenny Pickett dropped seven spots in NFL.com’s weekly QB rankings after a poor performance against the Houston Texans in a 30-6 loss. For the season, he’s completing barely more than 60 percent of his passes (29th out of 34 qualifiers), 6.3 in YPA (26th), and 4.49 in ANY/A (27th).
Add it all up and NFL.com’s Nick Shook ranked Pickett 29th out of 32 quarterbacks entering Week Five. He’s only ahead of the Giants’ Daniel Jones, Falcons’ Desmond Ridder, and the Browns’ Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a rookie backup who filled in for Deshaun Watson last weekend.
