Steelers News: Mason Rudolph had a solid performance, but his Steelers teammates didn’t help much

The Pittsburgh Steelers returned to the gridiron when they reported back to training camp. With practices underway, the news surrounding the black-and-gold is just starting to heat up. As the team prepares for the coming season, we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until the season starts!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at

Let’s get to the news:

• The battle for the QB2 spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth chart is anything but certain. Mason Rudolph played well in Week 2 vs. the Chiefs, but he didn’t get much help from those around him either.

Tim Benz: Steelers’ Mason Rudolph gets little support in 1st home start

By: Tim Benz, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Thanks for the support, fellas.

In Mason Rudolph’s first start for the Steelers at Heinz Field — a 17-7 preseason victory Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs — Xavier Grimble dropped what could’ve been a first down.

Donte Moncrief fumbled after a completion on the first play of a drive.

James Conner bobbled a ball he eventually caught that could’ve gone for a bigger play.

Neither Maurkice Pouncey nor David DeCastro started on the offensive line.

Rudolph got sacked and had to elude pressure often. The offense committed three penalties.

Then, the second-year quarterback got benched before he was allowed to run the hurry-up offense with 1 minute, 4 seconds left in the first half.

So if you were waiting to see what kind of picture Rudolph could paint when it comes to life without Ben Roethlisberger, he wasn’t exactly given the best canvas.

“We kind of hurt ourselves early on,” Rudolph said after the game. “Maybe I wasn’t aggressive enough. But we worked through it.

“There were just some miscues, self-inflicted. But once we got out of our own way, we moved the ball well.”

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• I think this could be summed up into one sentence: “This is for Drake.”

Kevin Gorman: Young Steelers receivers shut out noise, deliver for Darryl Drake

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers warmed up at Heinz Field wearing black hoodies with “SHUT OUT THE NOISE” in gold, adopting the words of Darryl Drake as their motto.

Drake’s death last Sunday became a dark cloud that hovered over the final week of Steelers training camp at Saint Vincent, especially in the wide receivers room.

The receivers lost in their position coach a man devoted to faith, family and football, one who made a profound impact in a short time as much for his lessons on life as his teaching of the game.

“Because Coach Drake’s not here anymore, we can’t worry about what everybody says on the outside,” said Diontae Johnson, the rookie receiver who Drake convinced the Steelers to draft in the third round this past spring. “We’re just shutting out the noise, trying to play football and win games.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• NFL linemen have to have a certain body build for them to do their job effectively. Often times many have to eat an excessive amount of calories just to keep weight on. Steelers tackle Alejandro Villanueva is one of those linemen.

Alejandro Villanueva on eating his way to 335 pounds: “You feel gross”

By: Michael David Smith, ProFootballTalk

Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva was listed at 277 pounds when he first entered the NFL after a college football career at Army followed by three tours of duty in Afghanistan. That’s not big enough to be an NFL left tackle.

So Villanueva has a problem many people only wish they could have: He has to eat all the time just to get his body to stay at his desired weight. Villanueva said he’s currently working on getting up to 335 pounds, where he thinks he’s most effective, and has about five pounds to go.

“It’s terrible,” Villanueva told ESPN. “I would say it’s harder than losing weight because you feel gross.”

Villanueva said he’s not even sure if he needs to eat so much to really be able to block NFL defensive linemen, but he feels more confident at a higher weight.

“I’m self-conscious about my weight, so I feel I need to be at 335,” Villanueva said. “If I feel I’m too light, I feel I’ll get lifted off the ground. With a solid 335, I can take on bull-rushes. But in reality, everything I just told you is not scientifically proven whatsoever and might have absolutely no effect on the game. It’s just a matter of confidence.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Oh that Antonio Brown...that saga is still ongoing out in Oakland.

AB’s new helmet fails NFL safety test

By: Taylor Haase, DKPittsburghSports

The Antonio Brown helmet saga continues.

In case you missed any of the previous episodes of Helmets of Our Lives, here’s a recap:

The Antonio Brown helmet saga continues.

In case you missed any of the previous episodes of Helmets of Our Lives, here’s a recap:

• The specific helmet Brown has worn throughout his entire career, a Schutt AiR Advantage, is no longer certified because it is older than 10 years. The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment does not certify equipment older than 10 years.

• Brown is given approved helmets to try. He doesn’t like them, saying they obstruct his vision.

• The Steelers, at the request of the Raiders, send Brown his old helmet. Brown has it painted in Raiders-esque colors and tries to sneak it onto the field in OTAs, gets caught, and is told to get rid of it.

• Brown has a two-hour conference call with the NFL during training camp to argue why he should wear the helmet he prefers instead of one the league requires.

• The NFL reiterates their stance on the helmet, and an arbitrator rules against Brown’s grievance.

• Brown tweets that he is looking for Schutt AiR Advantage helmets manufactured within the approved window of 2010 or later.

Got it? Good.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Social Media Madness