Steelers News: Devin Bush’s first NFL game was quite the “experience” for the rookie

The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving into Week 2 of the NFL regular season, and as the team prepares for the Seattle Seahawks, 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 how rookie Devin Bush’s debut went against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Week 1.

Let’s get to the news:

• Getting your first career NFL start can be intimidating. Getting that start against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots can be downright frightening. Devin Bush saw it as a quality experience.

Devin Bush has ‘quite the experience’ in first NFL start for Steelers

By: Joe Rutter, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

It wasn’t the type of NFL debut that Devin Bush envisioned when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 10 overall pick of the draft.

No rookie thrust into the starting lineup for his first game expects to be on the wrong side of a 33-3 decision.

Still, Bush tried to make the best of a bad situation.

“It was fun to be out there for the first NFL game against the defending champs in their home stadium,” Bush said after the Steelers’ lopsided loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. “It was quite the experience.”

Playing extensively at inside linebacker, Bush had a team-high 11 tackles for the Steelers. That was small consolation considering the overall defensive play. With Brady exploiting the middle of the defense and then finding success with deep passes, the Patriots jumped to a 20-0 halftime lead and pulled away in the second half.

“He was getting the ball out fast,” Bush said. “He was finding those matchups, completing the ball on third down, getting the ball behind the defense. He was checking in and out of run plays, play-action plays and screens.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Is it time to sound the alarms?

Kevin Gorman: Sound the alarms. Steelers looked lost without Antonio Brown

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

What we wanted to see more than anything from the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener was how their passing game would be affected by the absence of All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown.

This debut was a disaster, to put it mildly.

That Brown orchestrated an offseason trade to Oakland and his release from the Raiders only to sign with the New England Patriots on the eve of the opener at Gillette Stadium was of no consequence to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.

At least, not that he was willing to admit.

“I’m not specifically worried about anything relative to Antonio Brown,” Tomlin said. “I’m worried about the guys in the locker room. The quality of execution of what we did or didn’t do. Antonio’s been off our team for a number of months. We moved on from that stuff in March.”

The guys in the locker room should have the Steelers worried, as there was little quality to their execution. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was blunt about taking blame, saying he wasn’t good enough. Wide receiver Donte Moncrief considered it a wake-up call, one that he and the Steelers needed.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Who is the blame for the Steelers’ loss in Week? Ben Roethlisberer says blame him

Big Ben takes blame for Steelers’ woes at Pats

By: Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

So much for that new-look offense without Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

Those players were missed on a miserable night of football for the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose 33-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday left their quarterback placing blame squarely on himself.

“I wasn’t good enough,” said Ben Roethlisberger, who went 27-of-47 for 276 yards and one interception. “I wasn’t giving guys balls where they needed to catch them. Put them in front, behind, things like that. So, just -- I wasn’t good enough.”

The Steelers finished the game with 308 yards, but many of those came in garbage time. At halftime, Pittsburgh had limped to four first downs, one third-down conversion and 87 yards. James Conner and the rushing attack managed 32 yards and and failed to convert several short-yardage situations.

From five-wide sets to zone running plays, nothing the Steelers tried worked, with Roethlisberger missing on three of his four deep-ball attempts.

The Steelers most recently scored three points in a season opener in 2001, losing 21-3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The message was sent.

To read the full article click HERE (Free)

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