PITTSBURGH (GSM) — The Pittsburgh Steelers lost defensive end Stephon Tuitt in the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night. The pectoral tear will require surgery and will have him sidelined for the rest of the 2019 season.
The Steelers re-signed defensive end L.T. Walton to the active roster this week. Walton played for the team for the majority of his career since he was drafted in 2016 out of central Michigan.
Defensive end Tyson Alualu will start in place of Tuitt and had nothing but praise for his comrade who was having an all-pro season.
BRIAN COOK IS AN EMMY-NOMINATED INTERNATIONAL JOURNALIST WHO HAS BEEN COVERING THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SINCE 2005. HE CAN BE REACHED AT BCOOK@GOLDENSKYMEDIA.COM.
PITTSBURGH (GSM) — Golden Sky Media and OG Cooking have teamed up to produce a new groundbreaking show titled, The OG Cooking Show, With Olga George.
The program is a monthly 30 minute show about food, culture and people filmed in front of a live audience at The Commoner, a restaurant located in Downtown Pittsburgh.
BRIAN COOK IS AN EMMY-NOMINATED INTERNATIONAL JOURNALIST WHO HAS BEEN COVERING THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SINCE 2005. HE CAN BE REACHED AT BCOOK@GOLDENSKYMEDIA.COM.
PITTSBURGH (GSM) — Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt will miss the remainder of the 2019 NFL season after tearing his pectoral muscle in Sunday Night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Per an ESPN report, the all-pro will require surgery.
The @Steelers outstanding DL Stephon Tuitt did tear pectoral and will need surgery, out for year, per sources. No longer a “fear” but reality. Another huge setback for team.
(GSM) — Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers travel well, and it was evident during the matchup against the LA Chargers Sunday.
There was an overabundance of “Terrible Towels” during Sunday night’s game at Dignity Health Sports Park to watch the Steelers achieve their second win of the season in a 24-17 victory on the road.
Quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges led the Steelers by completing 15-20 passes for 132 YDS, 1 TD, and only 1 interception. The undrafted QB was signed during the 2019 season after the team traded Joshua Dobbs to the Jaguars and his number was called to lead following the concussion suffered by Mason Rudolph.
In his post-game press conference, Hodges said of the strong presence of Steeler fans, “Honestly, not too surprised. That’s something that we kind of anticipated happening. We travel with fans so well. I mean, just pregame warmups and you could tell this was going to be like a home game.”
This Rick-Roll attempt by the Chargers Sunday night with “Renegade” backfired as it fired the large contingent #Steelers fans up more. Got to think these things through better. lol Too funny! @muldowneypic.twitter.com/1Ydm4o1ndd
Looks like the entire stadium was Steelers fans or at least the Steelers side was full while the Chargers side looked pretty bare…♂️ pic.twitter.com/dFQw6eVpPY
One word answer 4 u B, ETERNITY! After attending last night’s game as a life long, die hard @steelers fan, felt bad (ok, not really tho ) for the “10” or so @Chargers fans there! Absolute Steeler home game! I know we travel well BUT….#sorrynotsorrypic.twitter.com/orXelkJaMi
BRIAN COOK IS AN EMMY-NOMINATED INTERNATIONAL JOURNALIST WHO HAS BEEN COVERING THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SINCE 2005. HE CAN BE REACHED AT BCOOK@GOLDENSKYMEDIA.COM.
PITTSBURGH (GSM) — Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers lead the all-time series against the Chargers 23-10 (including the post-season), Pittsburgh has an uphill battle as they struggle against teams when traveling across time zones.
The last 3 meetings against teams on the West Coast (or relatively close) has resulted in losses. In 2018, the Steelers fell on the road to the Oakland Raiders (24-21), Denver Broncos (24-17) and in ’19 walked away winless when facing the San Francisco 49ers (24-20), respectively.
This week, the Chargers are at home and face their own struggles. Sitting at 2-3 and 3rd place in the AFC West, Los Angeles is coming off of a loss to division rival Denver Broncos.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers — who Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin labeled a, Hall of Fame caliber quarterback” — has a completion percentage of 68% on 194 passes and 7 touchdowns, however, is missing his anchor on the offensive line for the season. Mike Pouncey (twin brother to Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey) was placed on the team’s injured reserve list on Oct 9 after suffering a neck injury against the Broncos. An injury that will have him sidelined for the season, possibly longer.
Rivers, who has faced adversity before, said in a press conference, “We have to be physical, come out and be hungry.”
The Steelers — on the other hand — must rely on their defense to carry the load and stop the Chargers offense who has proven to be efficient in recent history. The addition of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has assisted Pittsburgh in defensive stops across the middle. In his Steelers debut, he recorded an interception and has made a significant impact in the secondary. Fitzpatrick was acquired from the Miami Dolphins for a 2020 1st round pick and a 6th-rounder in 2021.
Brian Cook is an Emmy-nominated international journalist who has been covering the National Football League since 2005. He can be reached at BCook@GoldenSkyMedia.com.