A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.
Your Depot After Dark for Dec. 14.
Ogunjobi Lends A Hand
In another example of why he’s the Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee, defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi helped out this weekend to provide food, toys, and clothing to families new to the city.
“My parents came here with nothing,” Ogunjobi said via Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley. “They built a life here, moved here to get a better life. I want to make sure I am able to give it back because my parents instilled such a good example in me of that.”
With parents from Nigeria, Ogunjobi grew up in New Jersey before playing his college ball at Charlotte. He’s not only given back to his community but also his parents, buying them a house in 2023.
The Man of the Year Award will be announced during NFL Honors in February.
Tomlin’s Keys
As part of his weekly Mike Tomlin Show, Mike Tomlin sat down with Bob Pompeani to discuss his keys to the game this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the final segment, the two discussed the need for Pittsburgh to win in situational football, particularly in the red zone.
“Ball possession is No. 1 for us,” Tomlin told Pompeani. “And then opportunities in the red area we gotta capitalize on. That’s been an emphasis for us since the mini-bye.”
Tomlin’s referring to the 10-day layoff the Steelers had after a Thursday night loss to the Cleveland Browns. Since then, Pittsburgh has improved in its ability to finish drives. While it went 2-of-4 in Week 14’s win over the Cleveland Browns, a 20-yard TD to Pat Freiermuth didn’t technically count as a red zone possession, as did its final kneel-downs, which counted against it.
Conversely, Tomlin said his defense must get off the field.
“We gotta make them guys settle for three. We can’t allow their red zone trips to produce seven.”
Catch the whole segment below.
Former Steelers K Cut
Former Steelers K Matthew Wright was released by the Kansas City Chiefs, clearing the way for starter Harrison Butker to return from his multi-week knee injury.
Butker will be available for the Week 17 Steelers-Chiefs game as Kansas City gets healthy at the right time. They could also get back speedy WR Hollywood Brown who has missed all season with a shoulder injury.
Russell Wilson Drops
Despite a win and two touchdowns showing in a Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, Russell Wilson had a clear drop in NFL.com’s latest QB Index rankings. He fell three spots from No. 7 to No. 10 in Nick Shook’s rankings.
“Unlike the previous week’s 414-yard performance, Wilson didn’t erupt for a ton of passing yards against Cleveland. In fact, the Steelers’ offense had a tough time getting going in the first half.”
It’s a surprising drop, considering Wilson was without top WR George Pickens, a last-second scratch due to a hamstring injury. Wilson made do without and showed command and poise as Pittsburgh bounced back from a slow start. Apparently, that wasn’t enough to convince Shook to keep Wilson from dropping.
Wilson was leapfrogged by the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford, Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold, and San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy (it didn’t take into consideration his poor Thursday night showing).
