- Making an impression: Kicking at Heinz Field is notoriously a difficult venture, so it worked out well this past weekend when newly signed kicker Chris Boswell got his workout in cold, windy and rainy conditions at Heinz Field, giving Coach Mike Tomlin a chance to see him in some of the worst elements he will face.
"He did a nice job in the workout," said Tomlin. "It was a very good environment for a workout because the weather wasn't great. We had an opportunity to evaluate him not only in that environment, but under less than ideal conditions. Besides that we have done our research on him and not only followed him since he has been in the league with several teams, but also when he came out of Rice University. We have a great deal of comfort with him and are excited about rallying around him and supporting him."
- Solid effort:* *Sometimes performance is about the numbers, and sometimes it isn't. For linebacker Jarvis Jones the fact that he has yet to have a sack this season isn't an indication of the type of year he is having but rather a byproduct of how the defense has been working. Tomlin said they have been rushing the left outside linebacker three to four times more than the right outside linebacker the last few games, giving Jones less opportunities to register sacks. That doesn't diminish the impact Jones is having, though.
"I think he has been solid," said Tomlin. "I like the violence with which he has played. His hands have been heavy. He has done a nice job in the run game. He hasn't produced the numbers from a pressure or sack standpoint yet, but we have been doing some things that have minimized his rush opportunities."
- Catching on: Rookie receiver Sammie Coates had his first NFL reception against the Ravens last week, an 11-yard catch from Mike Vick. Coates has made continuous progress in the offense, giving Tomlin a great comfort level with putting the rookie out on the field.
"He is improving dramatically to the point where we were comfortable putting him in a helmet," said Tomlin. "He had an opportunity to get a substantial amount of play, and his play was above the line. He will continue to progress and we will continue to give him an opportunity to do so and we will evaluate the results of that progression and make judgments about participation accordingly."
