蘑菇视频

Dec 23, 2016 By Jim Wexell for The 4 min read

PITTSBURGH 鈥� Keith Butler didn鈥檛 deny the unsubstantiated rumor that he蘑菇视频 activating himself this week to play defensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

鈥淚 might be,鈥� said the defensive coordinator. 鈥淚鈥檓 almost heavy enough.鈥�

Butler was kidding, of course, but with Cam Heyward on IR, and Stephon Tuitt and Ricardo Mathews missing practices with injuries, there蘑菇视频 not much left on the active roster.

Butler wouldn鈥檛 comment on the progress, or lack thereof, of Tuitt (knee) and Mathews (ankle), but the expectation from teammates is that Tuitt will be a game-day decision and could play.

Does he need to practice?

鈥淭hose guys, they gotta know the fronts and stuff like that,鈥� Butler said. 鈥淏ut it蘑菇视频 not as complex as it is on the back end. Some of the back end stuff, we have to know checks. They have to know some checks, too, but if they鈥檝e done it before it蘑菇视频 easier for them.

鈥淚 think our guys, whoever蘑菇视频 ready, John will do a good job of preparing them.鈥�

John Mitchell has been coaching Steelers defensive linemen for 23 years, so he蘑菇视频 instilled trust in those who would otherwise be worried that the Steelers鈥� starters going into their biggest game of the season are L.T. Walton, Javon Hargrave and Johnny Maxey.

That was confirmed to have been the starting group this week in practice, and in case you don鈥檛 know them:

n Walton was last year蘑菇视频 sixth-round draft pick who蘑菇视频 started the last two games to give him two career starts;

n Hargrave is this year蘑菇视频 third-round rookie who蘑菇视频 started 11 games this season and moves off the nose to play tackle when the Steelers are in their nickel (about 80 percent of the time);

n And Maxey is still on the practice squad. He蘑菇视频 an undrafted rookie out of Division II Mars Hill University.

Behind them are Daniel McCullers and the other practice squad lineman, Caushaud Lyons.

Tuitt sprained his knee in the first series last Sunday and Mathews injured his ankle and was on and off the field throughout a second half in which the Bengals scored no points and rushed for only eight yards.

How did the Steelers front pull that off?

鈥淲e just tightened up the interior line,鈥� Butler said. 鈥淪ome of the gaps were expanded a little bit, we tightened up the front a little bit, our guys played a little better, we got more comfortable with what we were doing and we knew we had to play. We had to at least try to keep them from getting very few points, if any, in the second half as our offense kept grinding.鈥�

Butler said of the group蘑菇视频 veteran, Walton, 鈥淚 thought he played technique well during the game. He蘑菇视频 going to get better as the year goes long. He蘑菇视频 a very sharp-minded kid that plays above the neck and he finds a way to do it.鈥�

Could that be enough against a Ravens offensive line that蘑菇视频 been intact the last five games, during which it蘑菇视频 paved the way for 4.8 yards per carry and allowed only eight sacks?

鈥淚鈥檓 not worried,鈥� said linebacker Ryan Shazier. 鈥淚 know those guys have the best coach in the NFL at that position. I know they鈥檙e going to come ready.

鈥淵eah, the Ravens are doing pretty good but I feel like we鈥檙e doing pretty good, too. We鈥檝e just got to keep playing like ourselves. Even though we鈥檝e got new guys in, I know they鈥檙e going to do their thing.鈥�