<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1lo6bl_0vQwDqAH00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1lo6bl_0vQwDqAH00" width="640" height="426" ><figcaption>Falcons wide receiver Drake London catches a pass as Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. defends Sunday during their game in Atlanta.</figcaption></figure>Tuesday’s “First Call” has a harsh but accurate assessment of George Pickens from Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger. Two Steelers mince no words when it comes to evaluating the Atlanta Falcons.And Steelers rookie Beanie Bishop is getting amped for the Backyard Brawl.Need a little moreDuring his “Footbahlin’” podcast, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said that George Pickens has to give more in the blocking department. Pickens and Calvin Austin were both defeated on blocks during a crucial third-and-2 screen to Van Jefferson in the red zone during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game in Atlanta. “It may sound overly critical of George, but in that situation, when you have a screen, if he gets that block, it’s a first down. Maybe touchdown. He makes a lot of great plays, but if you want to be great, do the little things that are required as well,” Roethlisberger said. “I know he can do it. I hope what you’re going to see is a guy who goes out there and gets a little bit nasty moving forward. That’s one where Coach (Mike Tomlin) might get on a guy. If Coach is willing to hold him accountable, he’ll get on him.”The failure of that play from the Falcons’ 7-yard line eventually led to a botched fourth-down quarterback sneak and an empty trip to the red zone.“That was a screen play that you know you’re blocking. A coach would say, ‘Put your big boy pads on. Buckle your chin strap. Let’s go.’ They do that drill in practice, DBs versus receivers blocking. You’ve got to do it,” Roethlisberger added.Even though the Steelers ended up turning the ball over on downs on that series, they won 18-10 anyway.• Half the class being injured doesn’t dampen solid NFL debut for Steelers rookies who did play• Steelers bring back punter Corliss Waitman after Cameron Johnston season-ending injury• Penguins' Sidney Crosby 'pretty optimistic' he'll sign contract extension soonPorter pounds his chestSteelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was the player mainly assigned to cover Atlanta Falcons receiver Drake London on Sunday. The 2022 first-round pick had 1,786 receiving yards over his first two seasons despite less-than-stellar quarterback play.Yet, against the Steelers on Sunday, London managed just 15 yards on two catches. Steelers.com reporter Dale Lolley asked Porter Jr. if London even played in the second half.“You tell me,” Porter Jr. replied. “What was his stat line?”On Monday, Porter’s fellow cornerback Donte Jackson told me he wound up covering London for just a few snaps on occasion when the Falcons went hurry-up, and he was caught on London’s side. But he claims that Porter primarily deserves the credit for London’s quiet day.“That was the whole plan,” Porter Jr. told Lolley. “We’ve got the same body types. That was the main thing.”It’ll be interesting to see who Porter Jr. covers Sunday in Denver. Courtland Sutton is probably the Broncos’ biggest pass-catching threat. But Josh Reynolds led the way for Denver against the Seattle Seahawks with five catches for 45 yards.No rest for the wearyLolley also had this quote from Steelers guard Spencer Anderson, who claimed the Falcons’ defensive front grew weary of trying to stop the Steelers rush attack.“They were kind of tired,” Anderson said. “Some things were said like, ‘Man, can we get a pass play?’ Us as O-linemen were like, ‘No, let’s just keep punishing them.’ I don’t know how much we had on the ground, but we executed our game plan pretty well.”The Steelers ran the ball 41 times for 137 yards as opposed to just 23 passing plays. Although those numbers are a bit skewed by Justin Fields’ scrambling attempts.By the way, Anderson also took the blame for accidentally helping the Falcons stuff the Steelers on that ill-fated, fourth-down quarterback sneak in the Atlanta red zone late in the fourth quarter after Pickens and Austin fanned on those blocks.Falcons’ linebacker Nate Landman jumped over the offensive line, and Anderson says he helped propel him by clipping Landman’s leg at the line of scrimmage. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fun fact: Nate Landman holds the record for most fourth down stops as a Buff ????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProBuffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ProBuffs</a> | ????: <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOXSports</a><a href="https://t.co/CCDUQrR1B3">pic.twitter.com/CCDUQrR1B3</a>— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/CUBuffsFootball/status/1833213141087355310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote>”I actually hit the guy’s kneecap, and he did a whole flip over the top of me,” Anderson said Monday. “I flipped him. Sometimes, they just one-up you. He took a risk by jumping over the pile, and they stopped us.”However, with just over seven minutes remaining, the Steelers’ defense got the ball back quickly by forcing a three-and-out on the Falcons’ ensuing sequence.Beanie’s barbSteelers rookie Beanie Bishop will likely be on the team charter out to Denver as his alma mater visits Pitt on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) for the latest installment of the Backyard Brawl. But the West Virginia product is staying connected to the rivalry nonetheless.“I might have to pay for YouTube TV or whatever it is,” Bishop said with a laugh. “I just need a free trial. I don’t need it for the whole time. I’ll just need it for the day.”Bishop is threatening to sneak across the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex to the Pitt side to make a statement during the week.“I might go on their side and step on the logo or something,” Bishop said. “There are a lot of guys in the facility, athletic trainers, that went to Pitt. They say we are beefing for the week.”Bishop had an interception versus Pitt last year as the Mountaineers won 17-6. </div></body>

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First Call: Ben Roethlisberger's blunt comment about George Pickens; Joey Porter Jr. disses Drake London's stats

Tuesday’s “First Call” has a harsh but accurate assessment of George Pickens from Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger. Two Steelers mince no words when it comes to evaluating the Atlanta Falcons. And Steelers rookie Beanie Bishop is getting amped for the Backyard Brawl. Need a little more.

First Call: Ben Roethlisberger's blunt comment about George Pickens; Joey Porter Jr. disses Drake London's stats

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