Steelers News: Artie Burns can make, or lose, a lot of money on Sunday night

The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving into Week 6 of the NFL regular season, and as the team prepares for the Los Angeles Chargers we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until the next game starts!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how Artie Burns can make himself a lot of money in free agency after the 2019 season with a great performance, or he could lose a lot if he were to have a performance similar to his 2018 form.

Let’s get to the news:

• Artie Burns is a first round draft pick, and that means something in the NFL. With Burns hitting free agency after the 2019 season, he has a lot to gain, and lose, as the starter in Week 6.

Kevin Gorman: Artie Burns ready for second chance at cornerback for Steelers

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Artie Burns isn’t just looking for a second chance against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback wants the second snap he didn’t get last season.

Burns played only five defensive snaps in the final seven games and 15 in the final 10 games for the Steelers last season, after the former first-round draft pick was benched.

Standing on the sidelines didn’t sit well with Burns, so to say he’s excited for an opportunity to start against the Chargers on Sunday is an understatement. Burns wants to prove he can be an every down cornerback again for the Steelers.

“That’s why I came here. That’s what I expect,” said Burns, who has been mostly relegated to playing special teams since the Steelers signed free agent Steve Nelson. “Special teams (were a way) to keep me in there but I always wanted to have a starting role, for sure. That’s part of the reason they kept me here, so I’ve got to go out and fulfill my duties.”

That there is as much, if not more concern about Burns being in the starting lineup against Philip Rivers and the Chargers than undrafted free agent rookie Devlin Hodges starting at quarterback for the Steelers shows how far Burns has fallen.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Is the Steelers defense better equipped to stop Keenan Allen, or will it be a repeat of 2018?

Steelers better equipped to deal with Chargers’ Keenan Allen

By: Joe Rutter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

With the Los Angeles Chargers looming Sunday , nobody in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room is happier with the acquisition of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick than Bud Dupree.

Dupree was one of several linebackers — inside and outside — tasked with covering Keenan Allen last year when the Chargers wide receiver sparked a comeback from a 16-point deficit that sent the Steelers to a 33-30 defeat at Heinz Field.

Which is why Dupree let out a nervous laugh earlier this week when he was asked about the challenge awaiting the Steelers when they face Allen again Sunday night at Digital Health Sports Park. It was the kind of laugh a person makes when he wants to make light of his misfortune but isn’t sure if it’s too soon.

“Ah, yeah,” Dupree said, smiling. “Ah, shoot, long story short, we were (covering) Keenan Allen last year, but now we’ve got Minkah to (cover) Keenan. We don’t have to be on him because he made us look bad at the linebacker position.”

Did he ever.

All Allen did was catch 14 passes for 148 yards, a touchdown and a 2-point conversion. His 10-yard touchdown reception from Philip Rivers late in the third quarter began a run of 26 points scored by the Chargers in the final 16 minutes, 43 seconds.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Ben Roethliserger might soon be passed up by Philip Rivers for his passing yard mark with the other quarterbacks of the 2004 draft class.

Rivers closing in on Eli, Ben on career passing yards list

By: Michael David Smith, ProFootballTalk

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was drafted in the same first round of the 2004 NFL draft as Giants quarterback Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. But because Rivers sat on the bench behind Drew Brees for two years, his career numbers always lagged behind his two fellow 2004 first-rounders. That could change as soon as Sunday.

Rivers, Manning and Roethlisberger are now all within 500 career passing yards of each other. Here’s where they rank heading into Sunday:

Roethlisberger 56,545 yards

Manning 56,537 yards

Rivers 56,121 yards

But Rivers remains the Chargers’ starter while Manning has been benched for Daniel Jones and Roethlisberger is out for the season with an elbow injury, so Rivers should end this season comfortably ahead of both Roethlisberger and Manning.

Rivers could pass them both as soon as Sunday night against the Steelers. If Rivers throws for 425 yards on Sunday night, he’ll be first among the three of them (and sixth in NFL history behind Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Dan Marino). More likely, Rivers will eclipse Manning and Roethlisberger in two weeks.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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