PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin isn’t into hypotheticals. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers coach prefers to deal with what is happening, not what might happen.
This season, however, has challenged that approach. The unbeaten Steelers (10-0) are scheduled to host some semblance of the Baltimore Ravens (6-4) in a game already pushed back three times, first from Thanksgiving to last Sunday, then from last Sunday to Tuesday night, then from Tuesday to Wednesday. The game is the first NFL contest scheduled for a Wednesday since the 2012 season opener.
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Assuming, of course, that they play. Hardly a given in a year when uncertainty and chaos is just one positive COVID-19 test away.
“It’s day to day,” Tomlin said. “It’s a sensitive situation.”
An ever-changing one too. The Ravens had more than a dozen players on the reserve/COVID-19 list as of Tuesday afternoon, a group that includes reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The Steelers have COVID-19 issues of their own, with defensive end Stephon Tuitt and starting running back James Conner among the four players who will not play.
The NFL is making every attempt to keep the league on track to finish a 16-game season in 17 weeks; look for quarterback-less Denver’s loss to New Orleans on Sunday as proof.
“We understand that every team is going through something like this,” Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward said. “Not to this extent, but we have to be ready for any situation. I think (Tomlin) has laid out the plan. It’s up for us to follow it and it’s up for us to bounce back with it.”
With a win, the Steelers would effectively eliminate Baltimore, the defending AFC North champions, from the division race. It would also keep Pittsburgh a game clear of reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City for the top seed in the conference — and the one bye available this season.
Yet the Steelers remain wary. The previous time they saw Ravens backup quarterback Robert Griffin III, scheduled to start in place of Jackson, the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year guided Baltimore past Pittsburgh in the 2019 regular-season finale. Baltimore could also have its entire stable of running backs available if Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins both continue to test negative for COVID-19.
“They have a mobile quarterback who has beaten us this last time,” Heyward said. “Their defence is opportunistic, and they can be on long fields and have a kicker that can buy them out of any situation. I know we are dealing with a lot of uncertainly with guys going in and out, but we will deal with that when the time comes. We are ready for what they throw at us.”
If the pandemic offers both clubs a chance.
BACKUP BACKS
Conner’s absence means Pittsburgh will have to rely on second-year back Benny Snell Jr. and rookie Anthony McFarland Jr., to help out quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Snell ran for 113 yards in a season-opening win over the New York Giants while filling in for an injured Conner, but has been largely unproductive since outside of short-yardage situations.
Snell has 82 yards on 38 carries and three touchdowns over Pittsburgh’s past nine games. McFarland has been used sparingly since running for 42 yards in Week 3 against Houston.
TACKLING A PROBLEM
The Ravens had trouble bringing down Derrick Henry in an overtime loss on Nov. 22, and they didn’t get any practice time to correct the situation because of the COVID-19 outbreak within the team.
So, they’ll be working on muscle memory.
“Our guys know how to tackle, and we tackled, for most of the game, very, very well,” coach John Harbaugh said in reviewing the Titans game. “I think toward the end, we weren’t able to finish it for whatever reason.
“We can tackle better in those situations, but it’s not from a lack of knowing how to tackle or anything like that. It’s not something that we need to be in pads every day to get ready to do in a game. So, we just need to do better in a game situation. These are professional players. They certainly know how to tackle. They wouldn’t be on our team if they weren’t good tacklers.”
SCHEDULE SHUFFLE
The ripple effect of postponing the game will linger well into the stretch run. The NFL moved both Pittsburgh and Baltimore’s next games as a result of the delay. The Steelers will now host the Washington Football Team on Monday, Dec. 7, with the Ravens hosting Dallas on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Assuming the Ravens and Steelers ultimately do make it onto the turf at Heinz Field, it means the NFL could potentially play a game on every day of the week this season. There are Saturday games scheduled for both Dec. 19 and Dec. 26 and Minnesota is slated to visit New Orleans on Christmas Day, which is a Friday.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Canucks announced Tuesday that defenceman Alex Edler will sign a one-day contract in order to officially retire as a member of the NHL team.
The signing will be part of a celebration of Edler’s career held Oct. 11 when the Canucks host the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Canucks selected Edler, from Ostersund, Sweden, in the third round (91st overall) of the 2004 NHL draft.
He played in 925 career games for the Canucks between the 2006-07 and 2020-21 seasons, ranking fourth in franchise history and first among defencemen.
The 38-year-old leads all Vancouver defencemen with 99 goals, 310 assists and 177 power-play points with the team.
Edler also appeared in 82 career post-season contests with Vancouver and was an integral part of the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup final, putting up 11 points (2-9-11) across 25 games.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” Edler said in a release. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler played two seasons for Los Angeles in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He did not play in the NHL last season.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women will face World Cup champion Spain in an international friendly next month.
Third-ranked Spain will host Canada on Oct. 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo.
The game will be the first for the Canadian women since the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in a quarterfinal penalty shootout after coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA over her part in Canada’s drone-spying scandal.
In announcing the Spain friendly, Canada Soccer said more information on the interim women’s coaching staff for the October window will come later. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge of the team in Priestman’s absence at the Olympics.
Spain finished fourth in Paris, beaten 1-0 by Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Canada is winless in three previous meetings (0-2-1) with Spain, most recently losing 1-0 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England in February 2022.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in May 2019 in Logroñés, Spain in a warm-up for the 2019 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 in March 2019 at the Algarve Cup in São João da Venda, Portugal.
Spain is a powerhouse in the women’s game these days.
It won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2022 and was runner-up in 2018. And it ousted Canada 2-1 in the round of 16 of the current U-20 tournament earlier this month in Colombia before falling 1-0 to Japan after extra time in the quarterfinal.
Spain won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2018 and 2022 and has finished on the podium on three other occasions.
FC Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati (2023) and Alexia Putellas (2021 and ’22) have combined to win the last three Women’s Ballon d’Or awards.
And Barcelona has won three of the last four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
“We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition.” Daniel Michelucci, Canada Soccer’s director of national team operations, said in a statement. “We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams.”
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
