–The Steelers defense continued to be plagued by mental errors in the 42-37 loss to the Chiefs. Several players mentioned “communication problems” and “not being on the same page.” These are the same issues the Steelers dealt with late last season when Jacksonville scored 45 points in the playoffs.
“There are errors, and when you have errors like that, they get exposed,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “I’m not going to compare it to Jacksonville because it’s a different year with different people. But we have to clean that up. It’s unacceptable. Whoever is on that field — I don’t care who you are — we have to be sound in what we do. As a guy who has been here for a while I know if everyone does their 1/11th we win games. But if we don’t, we don’t win games.”
Heyward said the players, not the coaches, are to blame for the communication issues.
“It lies with us as players,” Heyward said. “It’s as simple as that. The coaches aren’t out there on the field. The game plan was solid. We just didn’t execute.”
–Tight end Jesse James is off to a good start in a contract year. James, a fifth-round pick in 2015, has 198 receiving yards and a touchdown in the first two games. He caught five passes for a career-high 138 yards against the Chiefs.
James has gradually improved since his rookie season. During his first few years in the league he was strictly a possession receiver in the offense and did not provide much in terms of yards after the catch. Through two games he’s averaging almost 25 yards per catch. He had a 46-yard touchdown against the Chiefs and a 37-yard reception in the opener against the Browns.
“I’m improving in all areas,” James said. “I feel like my blocking is getting better too. I’m getting better when the ball is in my hands. I’m turning the ball up the field faster. I feel good about where I’m at right now and look to continue to improve the rest of the season.”
The Steelers elected not to sign James to a long-term deal before the season. They don’t negotiate contracts during the season, so James must wait until after the season ends to learn his fate. The Steelers could sign him to a long-term deal in January or February or he could become a free agent in March.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen after the year,” James said. “I try not to think about what’s going to happen in the future just because I can’t control it. It’s for the people upstairs and my agent to handle. It’s nothing I can think about that will add anything to it so I just try to keep it out of my head and keep my thinking week to week.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 5 — Number of 450-yard passing games for Ben Roethlisberger, the most of any quarterback in NFL history. Roethlisberger threw for 452 in Sunday’s 42-37 loss to Kansas City. The only other NFL player with four 450-yard passing games was Hall of Famer Dan Marino.
