3 Rivers Rundown 10.23.15: New Steelers For A New Generation #Steelers

By @Kratoslives

How can a injury galvanize a whole team? We suck in the secondary. Our linebackers are unproven and young. More important than that, we lost our franchise quarterback to a knee injury.

Well, say hello to the NFL's version of last season's Cleveland Cavaliers. Injuries are wrecking the Steelers' starting lineup. But just like the Cavs, the Steelers needed to make a move.

Now, we have to get current Steelers' quarterback Michael Vick up to speed. Also, Pittsburgh needs to give LeVeon Bell the ball & continue to give Martavis Bryant opportunities in the passing game.

Guess our season is over.... WRONG!!

It was just the spark we needed! The defense has started to gel. Especially in the secondary, which was giving fans and coaches alike, nightmares and bad dreams.

The front seven already have 17 sacks compare to last year's total of 33. Cam Heyward has turned into a force that offensive coordinators hate, while defensive end Stephon Tuitt leads the team with 3.5 sacks. This "hybrid 3/4 Tampa 2" defense has bad intentions that is making Steelers Nation proud. All of the main starting linebackers have sacks.

The offense has scored just enough to win, except for the Cardinals game (which was a team effort). With the most unlikely savior on offense, Landry Jones, coming in to ice the game. I believe that Big Ben will make his return either against the Chiefs or Bengals. It seems as if the football Gods are lining us up for another Super Bowl run. This time though, it seems to be the run that will make this team a more deadly force to deal with. We have a late bye week, with a chance for a first round playoff bye week, due to many AFC teams that are coming back to Earth.

With a good push and hopefully better luck on the injury front, the Steelers will make a deep run in the playoffs.

We must start with a beat down of the depleted Kansas City Chiefs, that will be without star running back Jamaal Charles, and an offensive line in worse shape than Pittsburgh's.

I'm looking for a 5-6 sack performance from the Steelers' front 7, with a couple of interceptions thrown in for good measure. This should be backed by 130 yards rushing by the aforementioned Bell. Receivers Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant should both have 130 yard receiving outings apiece. I'm expecting this, no matter if its Landry Jones or Big Ben Roethlisberger taking snaps under center.

So on Sunday, we begin the reboot of our season and we have 12 games to set the tone. No excuses. No "well, this happened". Nothing is acceptable other than a appearance in the AFC championship game.

So buckle up, take a deep breath and deliver on what Mike Tomlin has on the wall plaque;

"The Standard Is The Standard"

Leadoff with Lee 8.28.15 #KyrieIrving #Browns #Steelers #DarrylDawkins

By @cleeverizon

- There is a chance Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving may not be available for the season opener on October 27th when the team visits the Chicago Bulls. While rehabilitation has been going smoothly, the Cavs are in no rush to plug him back into the starting lineup. The original 3-4 month timetable for his return has been slightly altered so he can at 100% and be fresh for the playoffs with so setbacks. According to one team source, Irving maybe out until January. In his absence, the Cavs have newly acquired Mo Williams and the re-signed Matthew Dellavedova to hold down the position until his return.

- The Browns worked out and signed reserve quarterback Pat Devlin yesterday. He is listed at 6’3”, 220 pounds and is in his third season out of Delaware. Devlin, 27, was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins in 2011 and played with them until 2013. He was apart of the Minnesota Vikings quarterback group in 2014 and spent part of the 2015 offseason with the Chicago Bears. It’s not expected for Devlin to be a long term solution for the Browns, as he is expected to get cut when the roster needs to be trimmed down to 53 on September 5th. He is nothing more than a camp arm to give Johnny Manziel a chance to rest his sore elbow for the remainder of the preseason.

The Browns released OL Ryan Seymour to make room for Devlin. Seymour is currently serving a four game suspension for use of PEDs.

- Yesterday's Browns Berea Bike Brigade included Phil Taylor (DL), Ish Kitchen (DL), Michael Bowie (OL), Justin Gilbert (DB), Robert Nelson (DB) and K'Waun Williams (DB).

- Here’s the uniform combination for Saturday’s Browns vs. Buccaneers game:

- Steelers WR Martavis Bryant is facing 4-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Substance Abuse Policy. The NFLPA and Bryant are appealing the suspension. This was will be Bryant's second violation since entering the NFL in 2014.

- Green Bay's Letroy Guion is suspended the first three games of the season for violating the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

- The details of the Patriots and Reggie Wayne contract have been disclosed and it is incentive laced. Wayne's 1-year deal is worth up to $2.3M and his contract includes a $1.1 million base salary which becomes fully guaranteed if he is on the Week 1 roster. The deal also has a roster bonus worth as much as $750,000 ($46,875 per game) and incentives up to $500,000 ($250,000 for 55 catches and $500,000 for 65 catches).

- Former Sixers and Nets star Darryl Dawkins has passed away at the age of 58. He earned his nickname of "Chocolate Thunder" for his rim shattering dunks. Dawkins was the first player ever drafted straight to the NBA out of high school. He averaged 14 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block in his 14 seasons in the NBA.