The Steelers aren't too happy with the progress Jesse James has made at tight end in his third NFL season, from what I'm hearing, and Vance McDonald should be a bigger part of the offense moving forward. The coaching staff has been unhappy with James' blocking, and his route-running hasn't been great, either. It was one reason why the team acquired McDonald from the 49ers the week before the start of the regular season.
It took some time for McDonald to learn the offense. He also suffered a bruised knee that kept him out of the team's game Oct. 29 against Detroit. Look for McDonald to take over the No. 1 tight end role moving forward.
McDonald has had some issues with drops early in his tenure with the Steelers, something that's not new for him. But he's a big-play tight end who has shown a willingness -- and ability -- to block.
• The Steelers feel they have the corners to play a lot of man-to-man defense. And they're also somewhat comfortable with strong safety Sean Davis doing so, as well. But they're not sure their free safeties are capable of doing what they need them to do in those situations. It's one reason why the team hasn't played more man in the first half of the season. They don't want to put too much man coverage on film for New England to study, just in case they're correct in their assessment of their free safeties.
• If rookie Cameron Sutton is going to have a role with the Steelers the rest of this year, it will have to be as a return specialist. And he would need somebody to get injured in the next two weeks before the team has to make a decision whether to activate him from injured reserve. Sutton was a solid return man at Tennessee, but the coaching staff feels he's missed too much time as a defensive back to make any kind of impact. The Steelers also acquired Joe Haden just before the season began, making it even more unlikely Sutton would play this season, anyway. The Steelers are averaging 15.0 yards per kickoff return with a long of 25 yards and 5.2 yards per punt return. Sutton averaged 14.1 yards per punt return with three for touchdowns in college. But he only had four kickoff returns -- for a 21.5-yard average - at Tennessee.
FROM DEJAN KOVACEVIC
at Highmark Stadium
• The Steelers' respect level for Vince Williams -- all of it earned -- has been among the most uplifting aspects of the team environment in 2017. And I say that because I heard so much more of that in the locker room this week. Mike Mitchell, predictably, had the most powerful line: "I know people will think I'm nuts to say this, but it feels like he's been there for our defense all along. He's my brother, and I love him. He's been there for us." This can't be stated strongly enough: No one on the 53-man roster faced a greater challenge in terms of replacing a departed player than Williams did in relation to Lawrence Timmons. But he's done that and then some, and he's been embraced at almost a Larry Foote level by his mates.
• Those closest to Mike Sullivan, including Sullivan himself in a weaker moment, will tell you that he'll always look for a way to connect Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist. No matter what the captain wants. That, more than anything, has been behind both sets of line changes since the debacle in Winnipeg last week. The rest is ... not quite window-dressing, but it's well down the list. Sullivan places a great value on what Hornqvist brings to Crosby in terms of a straight-line approach to the net and the wedge effect it has on the rest of the zone.
• A long road trip affords the opportunity to see players in all different types of settings, especially in some of the older arenas. In Calgary and Vancouver, I saw Olli Maatta doing some breathtaking leg exercises in the hallway -- intensive, twisting, unusual, not really sure how to explain them properly -- that I'd never seen from a hockey player. You might recall I reported a month ago one veteran hockey observer declaring Maatta's regained "a half-step" in his skating, even since June. Well, that didn't happen by accident.
• Maatta still won't talk about his skating. Not specifically. He wouldn't talk about when times were tough during the most recent Stanley Cup run, and he won't talk about it now. "Nothing's really changed," he told me in Edmonton. Hey, whatever, right?
• There will be an on-campus stadium for Pitt just as soon as someone can figure out how to build that on hospital rooftops. It amazes me this topic ever arises, given how Steve Pederson used to openly laugh at the concept -- he once showed me a diagram someone had created for a stadium proposal down in Panther Lair, using his finger to circle the wealth of space a road-less valley would offer for parking -- and that his two successors, Scott Barnes and Heather Lyke -- have had similar reactions. It won't happen. Not because there isn't the will. But because there isn't the way. It isn't 1976 anymore. Every millimeter of the Oakland area is filled.
FROM MATT GAJTKA
in Cranberry Township, Pa.
• Crosby is extremely polite to any reporter who comes his way, but I've come to appreciate the defiant streak he shows when asked about particular aspects of his game. Perhaps he felt I was trying to lead him a certain way with my question Thursday about whether he was looking for his own shot enough, but he made it rather clear he disagreed. A lot of interview subjects will at least go along with a reporter's premise at the start of the response, if only to be nice. That's appreciated, but I appreciate it more when an athlete is honest.
• I think you learn just as much about a team at practice as you do during games. Little things like Ryan Reaves whacking Crosby's backside as he snaps off several pre-workout one-timers, as is his habit. (Crosby stayed focused through the end, cracking a smile after the playful attack.) Or Mark Recchi taking some time to have a lengthy one-on-one chat with Tom Kühnhackl while the latter cooled down Thursday afternoon. I had a couple players tell me Recchi stands out with the individual attention he provides during skill drills before and after practices.
• As the Penguins prepare to revisit the scene of their most recent Stanley Cup triumph, memories will permeate Nashville's Bridgestone Arena for both team and media members. One moment I don't believe I ever shared occurred before the practice between Games 3 and 4 of the Final, when Rick Tocchet appeared to be selling Phil Kessel on the need to 'reload' on the backcheck at least inside the Penguins' blue line. Just a small thread in the story that preoccupied all of us last spring, and one that came to mind with the Tocchet reunion this week.
FROM LANCE LYSOWSKI
at Highmark Stadium
• Brandon Cumpton is among the Pirates' 15 minor-league free agents. Remember him? The 28-year-old right-hander started 10 games for the Pirates in 2014, but missed the next two seasons after he underwent Tommy John surgery. He had a 1.55 WHIP in 37 1/3 innings in 2017 and finished the season in Triple-A, where he made just five relief appearances. I expect the Pirates to bring him back for one last look. They could use relief pitching in Indianapolis, and everyone I spoke with in the organization spoke highly of Cumpton's work ethic to return, and Neal Huntington praised him all summer. After all, Cumpton showed so much promise prior to his injuries.
• The Pirates expected Jung Ho Kang and Starling Marte to struggle in the Dominican Winter League. Kang, playing for the first time in more than a year, is 8 of 60 with only three extra-base hits, nine RBI and 21 strikeouts. Marte, meanwhile, is 3 of 23 with seven strikeouts in six games. Kang had only hit off a pitching machine for over a year, and Marte had not played in the DWL since prior to the 2014 season. Baseball players are creatures of habit. Both had their habits disrupted because of foolish mistakes. This is simply part of the process.
• Lyke is willing to try anything to improve the experience at Heinz Field. Yes, that includes using a tarp to cover a large section of the upper deck. That isn't an administrator talking in hypotheticals. It's been discussed in great length as part of her initiative to help that football program improve. Forcing those folks in the upper deck to sit closer can help.
FROM CHRIS MUELLER
at Heinz Field
• With basketball season in full swing, I've heard rumblings that the Pitt program in particular is keeping a watchful eye on Robert Morris freshman Charles Bain, a 6-foot-9 swing forward who can shoot from the outside. Bain – a native of the Bahamas – was under-recruited in high school after coming to the United States five years ago, and was considered a backup plan by several Power 5 programs if another commitment were to fall through. Bain felt like he was Andy Toole's top priority, which led him to Moon Township. If Bain plays well this season, he could attract further attention from high-major programs as a potential transfer. Read more about him here.
• Pitt did not release official statistics from its closed scrimmage from Villanova, although it was obvious the Panthers would struggle against the sixth-ranked team in the country given their inexperience. According to a source with strong ties to Pittsburgh's college basketball scene, the scrimmage went about as badly as humanly possible. The source said Pitt faced a 20-plus point deficit within the first 15 minutes of play. Kevin Stallings said during the following week he was pleased with the team's efforts on the boards. But as for everything else, I'm sure that wasn't the case.
• On the Robert Morris front, I've confirmed freshman guard Leondre Washington will play against Ohio State Friday night. Washington had been out throughout training camp with an injury to his right foot. Forward Xavier Williams – a graduate transfer – will be out as he continues to recover from a summer car accident.
FROM AUDREY SNYDER
in State College, Pa.
• Just how important is expanding Penn State’s recruiting footprint into Michigan and specifically the talent-rich Detroit area? Important enough that safeties coach Tim Banks was out on the trail early last Friday morning ahead of the Lions’ game at Michigan State. Banks was slated to hit six high schools in one day. That's nothing, compared to the usual nine or so assistants can hit during peak recruiting times.
• While these last three regular season games should have the Lions as heavy favorites, don’t think for a second this coaching staff is knocking on wood after what this team has gone through during the past two weeks. One staff member even said as much. With a left tackle spending a lot of time in the training room and a starting defensive end still not on the field, the injury bug bit the Lions hard.
• Rarely do we get to see professional athletes away from the spotlight, but how they carry themselves in those moments can go a long way. As for Le'Veon Bell, who spent part of his bye week back at Spartan Stadium watching Michigan State, he spent the early portion of the lightning delay happily obliging fans’ requests for selfies, grinning ear-to-ear while back at his old stomping grounds before retreating to his suite. He didn’t once seem bothered by all the hoopla. But then again, what else is one supposed to do during a delay that long?