–The Steelers did not make a deal at the trade deadline despite having a need at cornerback. Head coach Mike Tomlin gave some insight into why the Steelers shy away from trades, especially ones involving future draft picks.
“We believe in homegrown talent,” Tomlin said. “We invest time and resources into the development of players. Players buy into what we’re selling and work their tails off to improve and be reasons why we’re successful. I think it’s difficult to walk away from relationships when people are invested. We’re invested, the players are invested.”
–Veteran cornerback Coty Sensabaugh played most of the Browns game, a change from the previous four games when he and Artie Burns split time. Sensabaugh took every snap at the corner spot opposite Joe Haden until he injured his foot late in the fourth quarter. Then it was second-year reserve Cameron Sutton, not Burns, who played the remainder of the game.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Burns was late for the Saturday walk-through and that was the reason he did not play against the Browns. He did not shed light on any plans for this week although he has said previously that how players practice factor into game-day decisions.
“We’ll keep working with Artie,” Tomlin said. “He had a good week of practice last week. I don’t want to make more out of it than what it is, but he was late, and we wanted to be focused with the guys who were wired in appropriately where they needed to be in the hours leading up to kickoff. And so, he suffered the consequences of that. We’ll roll that ball back out and get back on task with him and others this week.”
When asked if he would be comfortable with Burns as his starter if Sensabaugh can’t play against the Ravens, Tomlin offered this: “I’ll let you know after I watch this week’s preparation, not only in regard to him, but Coty. We’ll let his availability be our guide in terms of whether or not he plays, and I mean what I say when I say that.”
–After playing the Ravens, the Steelers have just one more AFC North game. It’s a big change from what they’ve been used to in recent years. In 2016, their final three games were against AFC North foes. Last season, three of their final five were division games.
“It feels a little abnormal playing that many in the middle part of the season,” guard David DeCastro said. “We usually have those division games a little later.”
Even though the game is being played in November there is a sense it can go a long way toward determining which team will be atop the division at the end of December.
“I kind of like the way it’s set up this year,” defensive lineman Tyson Alualu said. “You get a better feel early rather than waiting around and seeing what happens at the end of the season. I kind of like it this way. Regardless of the schedule our job is to win games especially in our division. We just have to take care of business.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 8 – Number of touchdowns for Antonio Brown in the first seven games of the season. That’s the most in the first seven games for a Steelers receiver since Jimmy Smith also scored eight in the first seven games of the 1980 season.
