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 Dec. 1.
Haden Playoff Prediction
Appearing on Up & Adams Friday morning, former NFL cornerback Joe Haden said he believes both teams he played for will, the Browns and Steelers, will make the postseason.
“With my heart, it would be the Browns,” Haden said when Kay Adams asked him to choose between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. “With my brain, it’ll be the Steelers because of Coach [Mike] Tomlin. I can’t root against them, I can’t go against them. He’s my favorite coach I’ve ever had in my life. His coaching style is amazing…but I think both of them are going to make the playoffs, honestly.”
Tomlin Talks To ‘The Rock’
As in Slippery Rock University. Getting ready for the D-II quarterfinals this weekend against cross-state Kutztown University, Mike Tomlin talked to The Rock’s football team in a video call for about 20 minutes Friday afternoon.
“You are in the right place at the right moment,” he said via the school’s website. “You are ready, individually and collectively. It’s an honor to be with you guys today. I am with you one thousand percent.”
Tomlin has a close connection with not only the team’s head coach but one of his players. Standout safety Eddie Faulkner IV is the son of RBs Coach Eddie Faulkner. A first-team PSAC West selection, he recorded 59 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four interceptions in 2023.
Slippery Rock will take on Kutztown in a rematch of the PSAC Title game earlier this year in which Kutztown pulled off the upset.
Brian Flores Borrows Pitt’s Plan
While Brian Flores coached the Steelers’ defense last year, what he’s doing as defensive coordinator in Minnesota largely came from the other team inside that facility. In a well-written feature piece from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Flores tells the story of learning about his zone sim pressure looks from Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi. Given that the Steelers and Panthers share the same team facility, there was a chance to overlap and pick the coaching staff’s brain.
“Flores said he frequently visited with Pitt assistant coach Tiquan Underwood. The pair watched film together, and Flores said he ‘kind of got enamored’ with a portion of Narduzzi’s defense that had been in use since Narduzzi took over as the defensive coordinator at Miami (Ohio) in 2003.”
As the article notes, no team blitzes more than the Vikings. And no team drops eight into coverage more than the Vikings. Though radical, the approach is working. Minnesota ranks eighth in points per game allowed with a top-five run defense. Their secondary has combined to record five sacks this year, too.
Unleash Hell
In one of the most notable press conferences Mike Tomlin’s ever given, he told reporters the Steelers were prepared to “unleash hell” in December in 2009. While those comments were technically made on Nov. 29, making this 14 years and two days, it’s better to ring in the first day of the final month with this clip.
“We will not go gently,” Tomlin said after an overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. “We’re going to unleash hell here in December.”
The Steelers…did not unleash hell. They didn’t even unleash heck. They lost their next two games to the Oakland Raiders and the Cleveland Browns before ripping off three wins to close out the year. But the damage was done and the team missed the playoffs at 9-7, the season after winning the Super Bowl.
Here’s to hoping for a better December finish this time around.
