Steelers Morning Huddle 9/1/13

Aug 29, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers Felix Jones (23) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Steelers 25-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Wecome to September Steeler Nation and to regular season football.  I enjoyed watching college ball yesterday but, quite frankly, I’m sick of hearing about Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel.  Oh, for the love of Pete, stop!  Even though it is the Ravens, do you plan to watch Thurday night’s game to open the 2013 regular season?  I’ll probably watch some of it.

Anyway, here’s some of the news that’s been posted in the last 24 hours.  Hope you find something interesting among these.

Will Johnson’s Determination

Ray Fittipaldo, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, posted an article about “Youllsee” Johnson who had to work pretty hard to get a chance in the NFL.  I realize everyone works hard, but Johnson didn’t catch anyone’s eye until a pro-day at West Virginia University.  The Steelers assigned him to fullback, a position that is waning in the NFL.  Some teams don’t even use the position anymore.  Johnson isn’t taking anything for granted and plans to keep working to get better even though he has made the 53-man roster.

Questions Going Into The Regular Season

Ralph Paulk, of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, looks at the challenges he thinks the Steelers are facing as they prepare to face the Tennessee Titans in their first regular season game.  He thinks many of the questions on offense, such as who will emerge as a dominant wide receiver, went unanswered during the preseason.  According to Antonio Brown, the Steelers are not dwelling on last year either.  OK, I understand moving forward and I applaud that.  What I didn’t see from the preseason is that they learned anything from last year.  Moving on is one thing.  However, to be successful, you have to move on and not repeat the mistakes that you have supposedly moved on from.  I’m not sure they have done that.  I’m hoping the regular season is a nice surprise in that regard.

How’s the Salary Cap Holding Up?

Dave Bryan, at Steelers Depot, does an excellent job with a complex subject.   I know that salary cap seems like the furthest thing from what’s important now that the regular season is starting, but it’s always hanging over the team’s management.  If you are interested in this kind of thing, I suggest taking a look at this one.

That’s it for today.  If you are looking for commentary on the cuts for the 53-man roster, check out Dominic Tolla’s post.   Let us know what you think!