Roethlisberger emphasized that Wentz is only two games into his rookie season, and the challenge for Wentz will be to endure a season. Those old Steelers defense always gave rookie quarterbacks hard times.
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There has been a long history of quarterbacks being drafted 1-2. But then, Carson Wentz isn’t your normal 23-year-old rookie quarterback.
Grimble hadn’t caught a pass in a game that counted since his junior year at USC in 2013 and yet Roethlisberger didn’t hesitate when he saw Grimble lined up one-on-one late in the first quarter, a play that ended with Grimble stretching across the goal line for a 20-yard score.
“I really think it’s just how we compete in practice, good-on-good, and offense versus defense”, coach Mike Tomlin said. “You see him throwing balls away, not trying to make too many insane throws down the field and using his legs when needed”. Both guys play in the box.
“I am feeling good out there, It went pretty good”.
The Steelers make the quick trip to Philadelphia behind the arm of their quarterback “Big” Ben Roethlisberger. Mills was pressed into action when veteran Leodis McKelvin left with a hamstring injury last week, and McKelvin remained out of practice midweek, Adams was beat over the top a few times, although Chicago wasn’t able to convert on each of them. They spread some defenses out. Coach Doug Pederson has done an excellent job of putting Wentz in positions to success, folding in misdirection passes, spreading the field and changing the launch point to keep defenses from honing in.
“Everybody’s got a different aspect they bring to the game”, Coates said.
“You got to keep him in front of you and when he’s in front of you, you got to tackle him”, safety Malcolm Jenkins said. Wentz has played well these past two weeks, making an adjustment and plays you rarely see from a rookie. Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Steelers. “And his preparation is very good”. “He’s utilizing a lot of those guys and he’s getting the ball out of his hands fast”.
“I’ve been in the league long enough to know every single receiver is open on every single play”, Roethlisberger said with a laugh.
The winning-percentage for home teams in regular season National Football League games is roughly.570, and even inferior home teams find ways to knock off superior road teams from time-to-time. The Bears scored their only touchdown three plays later to take a 7-3 lead. The previous time they won there was 1965.This is only the fifth meeting since 2000.
The game matched two of football’s best coaches, Greasy Neale of the Eagles and Sutherland of the Steelers. “We don’t shy away from competition. As far as the three games, this is more of a 3-4 look”.
In 1954, the rivalry was so intense that commissioner Bert Bell wrote a special letter warning the two teams against using their “forearms, elbows, or knees” to maim their opponents, a warning that was ignored at game time.
Although Wentz looked good in his primetime debut, and on the road no less, he now has to face a Steelers team that has to be brimming with confidence after knocking off a hated division rival in the Bengals.
But Reich then explained the logic, saying that once Wentz learns how to avoid hits – either by running out of bounds or sliding – then the Eagles will feel more comfortable designing running plays for him.
“There will be growing pains along the way and Sunday against the Steelers is a tough test”, Carr said. Then he marched the Eagles’ offense down the field on the first drive of his career and tossed a lovely touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews.
NO PRESSURE: The Steelers have just one sack through two games, and that came on a scramble by Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton for no gain. Their defense looks better than last year’s, and they still have perhaps the NFL’s most unsafe weapon in wide receiver Antonio Brown.
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The Steelers travel across Pennsylvania to visit the Philadelphia Eagles in another chapter of the keystone state rivalry.
