Keiwan Ratliff News

THURSDAY: Steelers hope Carter capable of filling in for Clark Submitted by SHNS on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 15:57 Somehow, the Steelers survived to an extent with Carter playing four games at strong safety for Troy Polamalu, so this assignment should not be quite as demanding.

Hi everyone! As I occasionally will do, I like to set the record straight about an answer I gave last week.

The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers have a record of 1-2 after three weeks. A This Sunday, they face a perennial playoff challenger in the San Diego Chargers.

This article has been read 145 times. After losing their star defensive back off their top-rated defense in the first game of the season, the Steelers struggled to find the right mix of players to help cover that deficiency.

I'm prepared to tell you why, even though the Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears picked the Steelers defense clean in the fourth quarter like a Thanksgiving turkey, the problem isn't with the players as much as with the team's late-game approach.

By Teresa Varley Steelers.com The Steelers will be without Troy Polamalu again on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but it appears that his back-up Tyrone Carter will play.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin on the Patriots' offense: "You study a team like New England, and they walk into a stadium offensively, and week to week they can be whatever they choose to be." Mike Tomlin spent time between the Super Bowl and training camp studying offenses in the NFL and found one he would like the Steelers to emulate: the New England ...

Greg Lahr is using his Whitehall team's win last Friday, which ended a 36-game losing streak, as a springboard to "bigger and better things." Every day they're in school, Whitehall football players see evidence of a program that once flourished.

Washington left the Super Bowl champions after last season to sign with the Titans, who were seeking a deep receiving threat.

Players quickly showered and dressed in the Pittsburgh locker room Thursday night before hustling to the bus following their 21-10 victory over Carolina in the exhibition finale.

The Steelers Answer Man sees all, knows all, shares all . . . Hi, SAM, It seems ever that since Jerome Bettis retired,the Steelers have had problems on third-and-short and fourth-and-short situations.

Limas Sweed picks up first down in the first half against the Bills on Saturday night.

"My personal goal is to catch the ball and make the Pro Bowl," Taylor said. The two are inextricably linked when it comes to the Steelers cornerback.

Talk about irony. Ike Taylor holds a receiving record at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Yet, he concedes that his hands - and specifically their lack of reliability - have probably prevented him from earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.

John Harris is a sports columnist for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached via e-mail or at 412-481-5432. Keiwan Ratliff didn't quite know what he was getting into when he signed with the Steelers.

More zone defense is being played and the number of big pass plays allowed is higher than you would expect from the Steelers .

More zone defense is being played and the number of big pass plays allowed is higher than you would expect from the Steelers .

Team defenses are a little bit tricky to rank since they essentially include two components.

Wide receiver Shaun McDonald, punter Dirk Johnson and cornerback Keiwan Ratliff were among five free agents who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to the start of their minicamp today.

Veteran cornerback Keiwan Ratliff has agreed to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers according to ESPN.com, adding to the list of players the Indianapolis Colts have lost on the veteran free-agent market.