It's between Hamilton and Coates. Ayres will play. We don't have a second slot guy, unless you count Bell. 4 wide means Ayres should be on the field with Eli in the slot and DHB/AB on the outside.
So would you activate Coates or Ayers/Hamilton?
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so Madden has Ayers with 7 catches for 196 yards and 2 TD and Brown with 6 catches 195 yards and a TD...Bell breaks 100 yards rushing with a TD while the dolphins only get a total of 58 yards rushing, are picked twice and lose a fumble....28-13 Steelers win.....
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sounds about right
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Coates gets a hat for special teams, and he may even be part of the game plan on offense. I'm sick of going back and forth on this so we'll see at 11:30 on Sunday morning. Also, we played all season without a "backup" to Eli Rogers so I'm puzzled as to why you think it would be a priority now. Also, we rarely put 4 WRs on the field at the same time.
You can't ignore special teams as much as y'all keep trying. It plays a huge role in determining who is active on gameday, more than answering the question: "who is our 5th best option at WR."
Obviously I don't know for sure what the Steelers will do, but I believe DHB and Coates are the same player, going for the same positions. Coates took all of DHB's ST snaps when DHB got injured. DHB is back, he's a better ST player than Coates and he's a more consistent outside receiver than Coates. Coates hasn't been effective in 3 months, and DHB showed last week, that he will fight for the ball in the air. If I'm giving out hats, DHB plays and Coates sits. We'll find out Sunday morning for sure.
To me this isn't between Ayres and Coates at all. Ayers is position flexible at WR (played games at the X, Y, and Z positions), Coates isn't. It's between Hamilton and Coates who are both strictly playing the Z receiver. DHB is also a Z receiver, and can play slot. From what I've seen out of Hamilton for the past 2 months, I give him a hat over Coates just for his ability to make plays.
I like Coates potential, but he's not playing up to it. He started off this season closer to Bryant, and he's ending the year closer to Sweed. Playoffs are not a time to give snaps to a question mark, and right now, Hamilton, Ayres, Eli, and DHB are showing they can make plays to help this team win.
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couldn't agree more
I agree it's between Coates and Hamilton, I can't see them dressing 6. Coates would know the no huddle-hurry up better and is pretty good on special teams. Hamilton has made some pretty big plays on O lately
http://www.observer-reporter.com/20170105/no-name_receivers_making_a_statement_for_steelers
No-name receivers making a statement for Steelers
By Dale Lolley
January 5, 2017
PITTSBURGH – As Eli Rogers chatted with a couple of reporters following the Steelers’ 27-24 overtime victory last Sunday over Cleveland in their regular-season finale, a team employee came by and handed the reporters a copy of the stats from the game.
“Can I see one of those,” Rogers asked?
“Ah man, I didn’t get my (eight) catches,” Rogers exclaimed.
Knowing where Rogers was going with that line of thinking, one of the reporters told the Steelers’ first-year receiver he could count his postseason catches if he wanted to get to 50 this season.
“Playoff catches?” Rogers replied. “Nah, they ain’t gonna count that for the regular season.”
“But I guess you can,” he added quickly.
The receivers from the 20 non-playoff teams certainly would trade a few of their receptions from the regular season to be where Rogers and company will find themselves Sunday when the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins in a Wild Card playoff game at Heinz Field.
Rogers gets that. As an undrafted rookie, he missed the entire 2015 season after suffering a foot injury in the preseason. He was forced to watch and learn while not being able to play. And it made him eager to perform in his first NFL season.
Catching 50 passes this season would have been a nice cherry on top of a breakout season, but the former Louisville star will have to settle for 48 catches and a spot in the playoffs.
“I didn’t even know I had that many catches,” said Rogers, who finished third behind Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in receptions for the Steelers. “Then, when I found out (last) week, I was like, ‘Alright, my target is eight so I can get to 50.’ Regardless of that, I feel like I did great, coming back and battling through the injury, just everything that I’ve been through. I feel like I delivered for my team when my number was called.”
That’s been a common theme for the Steelers this season after Sammie Coates, a third-round pick in last year’s draft, suffered two broken fingers on his left hand in an Oct. 9 win over the Jets after a hot start to this season.
Coates’ absence – he has just two receptions since the injury and suffered a hamstring injury two weeks ago – left the Steelers searching for somebody to fill a secondary role to Brown, one of the league’s best receivers.
Earlier this season, Bell, a Pro Bowl running back, served as the de facto second receiver. But as the Steelers began relying more on Bell as a runner than a receiver in the second half as the weather got colder, others were forced to step into larger roles.
Rogers was one. Tight end Ladarius Green was another. And Cobi Hamilton and Demarcus Ayers, two players who spent time on the team’s practice squad, also have made some plays, as has veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey when healthy.
They haven’t made the impact of Martavis Bryant, who was suspended for the season last spring for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, but it’s been enough to help the Steelers to an 11-5 record and an AFC North championship.
The receivers are quick to credit position coach Richard Mann for their development.
“He doesn’t just coach the guys who are playing,” said Heyward-Bey. “He coaches everybody. You could be the No. 1 receiver in the league or you could be a guy we just brought in yesterday, he’s going to coach you up because we need our guys to be ready. We don’t look outside our room when guys get hurt. My first two years here, we never had a guy get hurt. It was AB, Marcus (Wheaton), (Martavis), it was going to be somebody from that group. This year, we had some bad luck in that area. The credit goes to him, making sure everybody’s ready.”
Hamilton, a journeyman signed midway through training camp when Wheaton and some other receivers were battling injuries, and Ayers, a seventh-round draft pick, are perfect examples.
Both started the season on the practice squad, but when Wheaton shoulder injury didn’t get any better, eventually landing him on injured reserve, and Coates was injured, the Steelers signed Hamilton to the 53-man roster.
Hamilton has made seven starts since then and though he finished the regular season with just 17 receptions for 234 yards and two touchdowns, he came up with plenty of big catches, including his 26-yard game-winning TD catch against Cleveland in overtime.
“It shows what we are capable of doing,” said Hamilton, a sixth-round draft pick of Cincinnati in 2011 who has spent time with the Bengals, Eagles, Dolphins and Panthers before landing with the Steelers.
“I think they have a pretty good standard here. And I think that everybody knows that everybody can play.”
That was the case with Ayers, who continued to gain more praise each week for his work on the practice squad. Finally, two weeks ago, the Steelers put him on the active roster just in time for him to make his debut against the Baltimore Ravens.
He drew a big pass interference penalty and added a reception on the team’s game-winning touchdown drive. Then, last week against Cleveland, with Brown sitting out, Ayers effectively filled his spot in the lineup, a dream come true for the young receiver.
“He’s my favorite receiver and I’ve learned so much just watching him,” said Ayers. “And we kind of had the same kind of struggles growing up, so I feel like he and I can relate to each other tht way.
“AB is the lead dog, but he’s been getting double teams. We’ve wanted to help him out as much as possible. Guys have been making plays and taking a lot of pressure off of him. (Against Baltimore), we made some plays and it was like they forgot about who we had on offense. Here comes Brown and Bell. It makes it easier for them. They’re our best players. We want the ball in their hands at all times. If we can just make a couple of plays here and there, I think it opens the offense up for them.”
If anyone questions the playmaking ability of the unknown receivers on Pittsburgh’s roster, they need only turn on the film of the game against the Browns.
Playing without Brown and Bell, Rogers caught all six of the passes thrown his way for a team-high 61 yards. Ayers caught five passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. Hamilton had three receptions for 54 yards and his game-winning score. And Heyward-Bey had a 46-yard catch to set up another touchdown.
“I believe our who wide receiving corps can make plays in any situation,” said Rogers, who had 16 third-down catches working out of the slot this season, second only to Brown’s 18 on Pittsburgh’s roster.
“We do it every day in practice. The coaches demand great execution, detail. They demand it. We come out and do a great job of staying together and working. It just pays off on Sundays. The game is won during the week.”
If Coates can make it back from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him the past two weeks, the Steelers could have some interesting decisions to make in both the postseason and moving forward into next season when Bryant is eligible to return from his suspension.
“I just told my guys that lst year, we went to Denver (in the playoffs) and played well without Antonio,” said Heyward-Bey of his message to his teammates prior to the game against the Browns.
“Let’s go out and make plays. We can’t cry about who we don’t have out there. We’ve got to go play. We all prepare hard. Eli, DA (Ayers), Cobi, Sammie, myself, we’re all ready to go.”
No-name receivers making a statement for Steelers
By Dale Lolley
January 5, 2017
PITTSBURGH – As Eli Rogers chatted with a couple of reporters following the Steelers’ 27-24 overtime victory last Sunday over Cleveland in their regular-season finale, a team employee came by and handed the reporters a copy of the stats from the game.
“Can I see one of those,” Rogers asked?
“Ah man, I didn’t get my (eight) catches,” Rogers exclaimed.
Knowing where Rogers was going with that line of thinking, one of the reporters told the Steelers’ first-year receiver he could count his postseason catches if he wanted to get to 50 this season.
“Playoff catches?” Rogers replied. “Nah, they ain’t gonna count that for the regular season.”
“But I guess you can,” he added quickly.
The receivers from the 20 non-playoff teams certainly would trade a few of their receptions from the regular season to be where Rogers and company will find themselves Sunday when the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins in a Wild Card playoff game at Heinz Field.
Rogers gets that. As an undrafted rookie, he missed the entire 2015 season after suffering a foot injury in the preseason. He was forced to watch and learn while not being able to play. And it made him eager to perform in his first NFL season.
Catching 50 passes this season would have been a nice cherry on top of a breakout season, but the former Louisville star will have to settle for 48 catches and a spot in the playoffs.
“I didn’t even know I had that many catches,” said Rogers, who finished third behind Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in receptions for the Steelers. “Then, when I found out (last) week, I was like, ‘Alright, my target is eight so I can get to 50.’ Regardless of that, I feel like I did great, coming back and battling through the injury, just everything that I’ve been through. I feel like I delivered for my team when my number was called.”
That’s been a common theme for the Steelers this season after Sammie Coates, a third-round pick in last year’s draft, suffered two broken fingers on his left hand in an Oct. 9 win over the Jets after a hot start to this season.
Coates’ absence – he has just two receptions since the injury and suffered a hamstring injury two weeks ago – left the Steelers searching for somebody to fill a secondary role to Brown, one of the league’s best receivers.
Earlier this season, Bell, a Pro Bowl running back, served as the de facto second receiver. But as the Steelers began relying more on Bell as a runner than a receiver in the second half as the weather got colder, others were forced to step into larger roles.
Rogers was one. Tight end Ladarius Green was another. And Cobi Hamilton and Demarcus Ayers, two players who spent time on the team’s practice squad, also have made some plays, as has veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey when healthy.
They haven’t made the impact of Martavis Bryant, who was suspended for the season last spring for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, but it’s been enough to help the Steelers to an 11-5 record and an AFC North championship.
The receivers are quick to credit position coach Richard Mann for their development.
“He doesn’t just coach the guys who are playing,” said Heyward-Bey. “He coaches everybody. You could be the No. 1 receiver in the league or you could be a guy we just brought in yesterday, he’s going to coach you up because we need our guys to be ready. We don’t look outside our room when guys get hurt. My first two years here, we never had a guy get hurt. It was AB, Marcus (Wheaton), (Martavis), it was going to be somebody from that group. This year, we had some bad luck in that area. The credit goes to him, making sure everybody’s ready.”
Hamilton, a journeyman signed midway through training camp when Wheaton and some other receivers were battling injuries, and Ayers, a seventh-round draft pick, are perfect examples.
Both started the season on the practice squad, but when Wheaton shoulder injury didn’t get any better, eventually landing him on injured reserve, and Coates was injured, the Steelers signed Hamilton to the 53-man roster.
Hamilton has made seven starts since then and though he finished the regular season with just 17 receptions for 234 yards and two touchdowns, he came up with plenty of big catches, including his 26-yard game-winning TD catch against Cleveland in overtime.
“It shows what we are capable of doing,” said Hamilton, a sixth-round draft pick of Cincinnati in 2011 who has spent time with the Bengals, Eagles, Dolphins and Panthers before landing with the Steelers.
“I think they have a pretty good standard here. And I think that everybody knows that everybody can play.”
That was the case with Ayers, who continued to gain more praise each week for his work on the practice squad. Finally, two weeks ago, the Steelers put him on the active roster just in time for him to make his debut against the Baltimore Ravens.
He drew a big pass interference penalty and added a reception on the team’s game-winning touchdown drive. Then, last week against Cleveland, with Brown sitting out, Ayers effectively filled his spot in the lineup, a dream come true for the young receiver.
“He’s my favorite receiver and I’ve learned so much just watching him,” said Ayers. “And we kind of had the same kind of struggles growing up, so I feel like he and I can relate to each other tht way.
“AB is the lead dog, but he’s been getting double teams. We’ve wanted to help him out as much as possible. Guys have been making plays and taking a lot of pressure off of him. (Against Baltimore), we made some plays and it was like they forgot about who we had on offense. Here comes Brown and Bell. It makes it easier for them. They’re our best players. We want the ball in their hands at all times. If we can just make a couple of plays here and there, I think it opens the offense up for them.”
If anyone questions the playmaking ability of the unknown receivers on Pittsburgh’s roster, they need only turn on the film of the game against the Browns.
Playing without Brown and Bell, Rogers caught all six of the passes thrown his way for a team-high 61 yards. Ayers caught five passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. Hamilton had three receptions for 54 yards and his game-winning score. And Heyward-Bey had a 46-yard catch to set up another touchdown.
“I believe our who wide receiving corps can make plays in any situation,” said Rogers, who had 16 third-down catches working out of the slot this season, second only to Brown’s 18 on Pittsburgh’s roster.
“We do it every day in practice. The coaches demand great execution, detail. They demand it. We come out and do a great job of staying together and working. It just pays off on Sundays. The game is won during the week.”
If Coates can make it back from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him the past two weeks, the Steelers could have some interesting decisions to make in both the postseason and moving forward into next season when Bryant is eligible to return from his suspension.
“I just told my guys that lst year, we went to Denver (in the playoffs) and played well without Antonio,” said Heyward-Bey of his message to his teammates prior to the game against the Browns.
“Let’s go out and make plays. We can’t cry about who we don’t have out there. We’ve got to go play. We all prepare hard. Eli, DA (Ayers), Cobi, Sammie, myself, we’re all ready to go.”
Ya think the success of the "no name" receivers has anything to do with a certain number 7?
well, they played well with #7 on the bench last week
You got me there man....good point
Interesting that Ayres started and played the whole game as the x receiver. DHB is supposed to be next on the depth chart. Ayres responded with a good game. He has room for improvement, but that was a nice showing for his second game.
His first game, he did well enough to be on the game winning drive at the end!
I don't know if it was false bravado, or a genuine trust in his skills, but Coolie was right about this player. I need a shower after saying that...
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His first game, he did well enough to be on the game winning drive at the end!
I don't know if it was false bravado, or a genuine trust in his skills, but Coolie was right about this player. I need a shower after saying that...
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Steeler Nation mobile app
Cobi Hamilton seems to be the gunner in Coates absence and he is doing as well, if not better. Still see no reason for Coates to take up a spot but I hope he can take a spot and then show it on the field.
It's a bit of both. It helps to have a great QB, but at the same time it helps to have smart receivers, who also play with a hungry mindset
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Coates has given the Steelers nothing since hurt. Dress anyone else, we need blood that wants to prove they deserve to wear the uniform on Sunday.
I go back and forth on this. Coates is solid enough on kick returns and is awfully fast for the deep routes. He is as likely to drop one as Heyward-Bey...but DHB is more likely to fight for the ball than Coates, maybe he is worried about hurting his fingers. Hamilton has shown good hands, but I'm not sure about him getting open enough. I love Ayers and the attitude he has brought to the field in his first two games...but that is the limit of his NFL experience. With Green out, maybe they can keep all 6 active and see who gives the best effort on the field...
Well that's one game vs the browns,
I think Brown, Rogers, Bey (have to have another vet out there) are definites. Ayers and Hamilton maybe young enough to not know any better when it comes to playoff pressure, but the potential Coates has and the glimpses he showed early this season make it tough to sit him
which is why I posted this thread...kinda surprised so many have written him off, at least for this season....
Shoot, this season? It seems like many have written him off as far as his career. It's like the broken fingers didn't happen and they think he went from a raw prospect who was improving and a valuable part of the team to Limus Sweed level with no chance of bouncing back.
The broken fingers and hamstring were setbacks. He's still got the talent that we saw earlier. Hopefully he's able to tap into it at the appropriate time this post season. Personally, I'd sit Hamilton and activate Coates.
So which of these guys is active today?
Looks like they are both active.
Matthews and Green inactive.
Matthews and Green inactive.
All the WRs are active