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Steelers News: Several Steelers fined after Week-3 game vs. Buccaneers

Time to check on the latest news surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers.

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the loser column after a poor performance vs. their divisional rival, the Baltimore Ravens, at Heinz Field in prime time in Week 4. With the Atlanta Falcons coming into Heinz Field for a Week-5 matchup, the Steelers will need to improve on their 1-2-1 record.

Something I did last season and I’m going to start again is the Black-and-Gold Links article.

This is an article where I take stories from quality news sources across the Internet, and add them here for your viewing pleasure. I won’t be posting the entire articles, but I’ll link each story and author so that you can read the full article.

Today we talk about how several members of the Black-and-gold were fined, some heavily, for actions taken during the team’s Week-3 Monday night win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Let’s get to the news:

Heyward-Bey, Bostic, Davis fined for actions in Tampa Bay game

By: Joe Rutter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Three Pittsburgh Steelers players have been fined nearly a combined $57,000 as punishment for personal fouls called in their Week 3 game in Tampa Bay.

Darrius Heyward-Bey was fined $26,739 for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for arguing with an official in the fourth quarter of the Steelers’ 30-27 win at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 24.

Safety Sean Davis was fined $20,054 for roughing the passer, and linebacker Jon Bostic was fined $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.

Neither Jason Pierre-Paul or Gerald McCoy of the Buccaneers was fined for roughing the passer in the game. However, running back Peyton Barber was fined $10,026 for an illegal chop block.

With or without Le’Veon Bell, run game worries Steelers’ Mike Tomlin

By: Joe Rutter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Mike Tomlin has not spoken to Le’Veon Bell, and the coach is not waiting until after Week 6 — when the star running back reportedly will return to the Pittsburgh Steelers — to fix his team’s issues running the ball.

Tomlin held a “state of the union” review with his players Monday to remedy problems that have cropped up during the Steelers’ 1-2-1 start.

Among the topics covered was a running game that was dominant in the season opener but has stagnated in recent weeks. The Steelers rank No. 28 in rushing, and they totaled 19 yards on 11 attempts in a 26-14 loss Sunday night to the Baltimore Ravens.

James Conner, the starter while Bell remains away from the team, had just nine carries against the Ravens. He carried only three times after intermission even though the Steelers remained within a touchdown of the Ravens on their first four possessions of the second half.

Tomlin said the Steelers not only need to run the ball more frequently, they need to run it more effectively, starting Sunday when they play the Atlanta Falcons at Heinz Field.

“Some of it, we need more reps at it,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “How do you get more reps at it? You get more possession downs, you win possession downs. We didn’t do that in the last game.”

Mark Madden: Don’t feel bad for NFL players

By: Mark Madden, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Le’Veon Bell told ESPN, “I want to play, but I’ve got to take this stand.”

After Seattle safety Earl Thomas broke his leg Sunday, Bell posted this on social media: “I’ll continue to be the bad guy for all of us.”

Workers of the world, unite!

Does anybody believe Bell is taking “this stand” for the greater good? He isn’t. Bell wants to add to his mad stacks. He’s a multimillionaire who wants even more.

That’s OK. But don’t pretend to represent the proletariat.

Same applies to Thomas, who skipped practice to protect his body because he’s in the last year of his contract.

It didn’t work. Thomas broke his leg Sunday, then inexplicably flipped off the Seahawks bench as he was carted off. NBC’s Rodney Harrison called Thomas “a classy guy.” Thomas isn’t. Neither was Harrison when he played.

Thomas isn’t a victim in any way. He’s a contracted employee making $10.5 million this year, but he refused to work and got away with it. Until his leg broke.

Thomas wants a new, long-term deal. But Seattle doesn’t think he’s worth what he’s asking. Seahawks ownership and management have that right, just like Steelers ownership and management don’t have to give Bell what he wants.

Players and agents can’t unilaterally impose their demands. There isn’t a reverse franchise tag.

NFL players want to “get theirs,” but it’s not theirs. Not until the owner signs the check.

NFL owners are old, white jerks. But it’s their league, teams and money. If you want to change that, don’t ditch practice. Call Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

The quest of Bell and Thomas doesn’t parallel Cesar Chavez organizing farm workers. Bell is 26, and he has made $16 million. Thomas is 29, and he has made $55 million. “Theirs” is more than “mine” or “yours” or any schoolteacher’s. Bell and Thomas can live more than comfortably on what they’ve already made.

Le’Veon speaks: Expectations, message to teammates, trade talk

By: Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

The Le’Veon Bell debate has lacked one key voice over the past month: Bell himself.

The Steelers running back has offered little more than a monocle emoji as he stayed away from the Steelers. But Bell made clear to ESPN that he’s eyeing a return sooner than later, and he spoke at length about various topics related to his franchise tag.

Here are some of the lingering questions that were addressed in ESPN’s interview with Bell.

What is Bell’s expectation for himself upon his return?

Bell expects to be himself. He says he’s in top physical condition and doesn’t want to hold back when he’s on the field.

”When I do get back, I plan to give it my all,” he said.

But what about a pitch count of sorts? Is that what Bell wants?

An exact pitch count didn’t come up, but I did ask Bell about returning to his heavy workload that has become his signature. Bell said he’s prepared to do what’s necessary to help the Steelers win while taking the chance to “show people” what he can still do.

“My intentions [when this started], I’m going to save myself for when you want to make a long-term deal,” said Bell, who added that, once on the field, “I’ll be fully committed and give you everything I have.”

If Bell’s not worried about touches once he returns, what was the “plan” Bell wanted to hear before reporting?

This is a reference to agent Adisa Bakari openly asking on a Sirius XM interview during Week 1 what plan the Steelers had for his client.