Kovacevic: Steelers eager for Jones' arrival ... and returns

By WES CROSBY

Jacoby Jones was not present on the South Side on Friday afternoon -- he was en route to Pittsburgh, the Steelers confirmed -- but he was the talk of the locker room following practice, a day after being claimed off waivers from the Chargers.

His new teammates, who spoke openly about kick returning being a significant detriment this season, were looking forward to seeing the 31-year-old returner/receiver in Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

“Like Coach Tomlin says, any guy who can come in here that can help provide for the team, who can do great for the team, we’re going to welcome him with open arms,” Martavis Bryant said. “He’s a great veteran, a savvy veteran and he’s been doing it for a long time, so his experience will definitely help out.”



Over nine NFL seasons, Jones has returned five kickoffs and four punts for touchdowns. Jones victimized the Steelers on two of those, one kick and one punt, in nine games with the Ravens.

Mike Tomlin’s trip on Jones from 2013 -- deliberate or not -- was well documented. So, it’d be fair to wonder if there would be any playful ribbing once Jones does officially join the group.

Well, I asked Bryant just that.

“Coach Tomlin is his boss now and (Jones) is the player, so I’m pretty sure that doesn’t have anything to do with anything anymore now. It’s about handling his business and coming in here and helping out the team.”

Each player interviewed said he expects Jones to have an immediate impact.

“That’s somebody I’ve been watching since I’ve been in high school,” Antwon Blake said. “He’s been putting up numbers for a long time. He actually had a big return against us before, so I’m looking forward to seeing him doing that in our uniform, so I hope he hurries up and gets here.”

Blake said a returner like Jones has the ability to change a game in a moment.

“The biggest thing is, you just can’t relax with a guy like that because he’s a relentless, fearless returner. So, he’ll catch the ball almost at the out-of-bounds line and he’ll return it 110 yards if he has to. So, that’s one thing I love about that dude.”

To be an NFL returner, you have to be somewhat fearless. That’s part of the job. So, Jones is particularly so?

“I believe so, man," Blake said.

‘WE WANT TO WIN OUT’

The Steelers have been asked about the Raiders since Monday. How the Raiders are a half-game ahead of them in the AFC wild card race. How Derek Carr and Amari Cooper have Oakland averaging over 25 points per game. How 39-year-old Charles Woodson seems to have found the Fountain of Youth.

The question of the day Friday: How important is this game?

Bryant: “Every game is big from now on. We want to win out. So, it’s not just the Raiders. It’s everybody who we play now. We need to go in with a sense of urgency and get the job done.”

Blake: “Every game is important to us. It’s the midpoint of the season. That never defines anybody’s season … I do feel like there’s no reason we can’t win the rest of our games, so I’m not concerned.”

Ramon Foster: “It’s a game, that’s all it is right now. We know it’s an AFC game. They’re in our place. Every chance we get, we want to win those games. We don’t want to leave any excuse late in the year to where we’re wishing we were in the playoffs. We have to make it happen.”

Foster expanded on the matchup and the pending arrival of Jones:



TUITT FEELS READY

Stephon Tuitt completed a second consecutive day of full practice participation on Friday and is hoping to play for the first time since injuring his knee against the Cardinals on Oct. 18. Tuitt and Will Allen, who has missed three games with an ankle injury, are each listed as probable for Sunday.

The rest of the week's final participation report: Will Gay, James Harrison, Heath Miller, Mike Mitchell, Michael Vick and Markus Wheaton were all full participants. Matt Spaeth and Terence Garvin did not practice.

Tuitt said he is excited to return after being forced to watch the Steelers lose their past two games.

“It was hard, I’m not going to sit here and lie,” Tuitt said. “To get a chance to see my boys out there battle every week, of course I want to be out there with them. As a defensive line, and as a defense in general, I think we feel pretty great and this second half of the season we just have to keep moving.”

Before possibly returning Sunday, Tuitt will make a trip to Heinz Field to watch his alma mater, Notre Dame, face Pitt Saturday afternoon.

Tuitt joked Monday that he was looking forward to the matchup, was confident the Fighting Irish would win, and did not mean any disrespect to Pitt -- all said with a wide grin. By the end of the week, Tuitt’s attitude didn’t change. When asked if his two years in Pittsburgh have led to him growing attached to the local sports teams, including Pitt, Tuitt laughed and said he has grown fond of one.

“I love the Pittsburgh Steelers.”