Fitzgerald Toussaint likely will be Steelers' featured RB

[hawaiiansteeler]

Fitzgerald Toussaint likely will be Steelers' featured running back against Bengals

January 5, 2016
By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2016/01/03/ca0,546,2600,2765/20160103pdSteelersSports20.jpg

The Steelers are going to prepare for their AFC wild card game against the Bengals with the assumption that reserve Fitzgerald Toussaint will be the featured back. Coach Mike Tomlin said this afternoon at his weekly news conference that starting running back DeAngelo Williams is day-to-day with a right ankle injury, but he will proceed with the assumption that Toussaint will be the starter Saturday night when the Steelers visit Paul Brown Stadium.

“DeAngelo is being evaluated and getting treatment,” Tomlin said. “He can be characterized as day-to-day. I don’t know what his availability will be. We’ll let his practice participation be our guide. We’ll have daily discussions and planning regarding that. It’s appropriate to build our plan around Fitz and [Jordan] Todman. We’ll challenge those guys to have a big week and deliver for us the way others have when injuries struck.”

Toussaint filled in for Williams after he was injured in the first quarter of the regular-season finale against the Browns. He finished the game with 24 yards on 12 carries, but Tomlin and the other players on the roster are big believers in Toussaint, who spent most of the season on the practice squad before being elevated to the active roster late in the season.

Mike Tomlin said in his weekly news conference that Fitzgerald Toussaint likely will be Steelers' featured running back against Bengals.

“He’s a talented and hard-working guy,” Tomlin said. “He displays that for us on a day to day basis. Not only when he was called up and active but when he was serving us in the scout team capacity when he was a practice squadder… He brings a no-nonsense approach, blue-collar approach that I’m sure Steelers nation will appreciate. I’m sure they’ll grow to like him in the manner we do.”

to read rest of article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/01/05/Fitzgerald-Toussaint-will-likely-be-Steelers-featured-running-back-against-Bengals/stories/201601050181

[polamalubeast]

If Toussaint plays a good game as a blocker,catch a few ball and good in short yard situation, I'll be happy.

The Steelers must live or die with Ben's arm for this game as they did against Seattle and Denver with more than 50 pass by Ben.

[steel striker]

Yes as long as Toussaint has a better game then Ben Tate did last year in WC against the ravens.

[MrPgh]

He can't be worse than Dri Archer at pass protection.

[86WARD]

Just get through the Bengals game.

[steelreserve]

If we can just mix in a few rushing plays or screen passes here and there to keep them from completely selling out against the pass, that will be a success. Not really expecting us to win the game on the ground, just get through the week and hopefully win. If we're in the same situation next week, that's when I start to worry we're in real trouble.

[Psycho Ward 86]

i honestly dont care if he averages 1 yard per carry. i just hope his pass protection is on point because the bengals were going to pin their ears back and live in subpackages regardless of Deangelo's health anyways

[ALLD]

Maybe we make it up on STs with a score?

[86WARD]

Not on the kick return...maybe AB can return a pint but Danny Smith's mess of a kick return...they have no chance.

[Born2Steel]

Let DHB and Sammy take some snaps from the RB position. Even if they are just decoys, defenses will have to respect their speed and keep someone up to cover them. We have too many weapons this year to be very worried about having our starting RBs 100%. If the defense can continue to be run stuffers, we can outscore the field.

[tube517]

Frenchy jumped over Todman pretty quickly. I thought Todman was going to be the #3 RB and part time KR. He's been inactive alot.

[fansince'76]

Frenchy jumped over Todman pretty quickly. I thought Todman was going to be the #3 RB and part time KR. He's been inactive alot.

He must not have kissed Cool Shades' ass enough. That would never happen with Belichick. :rolleyes:

[86WARD]

Todman would be the next Corey Dillon if Belicheat signed him...no doubt.

[TD's & Beer]

Run Ben Run

[Rotorhead]

Some site had a write up of Fitz's play against the Browns, he apparently did very well in pass protection and his 2pt conversion was a good play. I think we will be fine with him back there. And while I would like to have DW back, I am not so concerned anymore about Fitz playing. A full week of practice should get the offense on the same page (ie the line should be able to adjust to his running style, Ben should be able to get an idea of how he works out of the backfield and get more comfortable with his check down passes to him).

[EzraTank]

Todman would be the next Corey Dillon if Belicheat signed him...no doubt.

I can't wait until Brady retires and people see the "genius" of Belecheat disappear. Does anyone remember Belecheat being great or a genius before he started working with Brady? As much as I hate Brady the guy is probably the best ever or at least in the top three. You give any coach Brady and he's going to look like a genius.

[Rotorhead]

I can't wait until Brady retires and people see the "genius" of Belecheat disappear. Does anyone remember Belecheat being great or a genius before he started working with Brady? As much as I hate Brady the guy is probably the best ever or at least in the top three. You give any coach Brady and he's going to look like a genius.

Unless it was the Browns . . .

[ALLD]

Brady is not the best ever or even in the top 3. He is the best the Patriots ever had, especially with the benefit of knowing the other team's defensive calls and messing with the ball to get it just right.

[steelreserve]

Top 10 would be a stretch for Brady. Lots of QBs have his skill; put them in the Patriots' system and give them the benefit of cheating, and they'd do just as well or better, and probably without behaving like a whiny brat and alienating 95% of everyone outside New England.

Even the signature moments of his career suck. Montana had "The Catch" and his 90+ yard 2-minute drill to win the Super Bowl against Cincinnati. Bradshaw had the Immaculate Reception and a bunch of clutch performances in the Cowboys rivalry. Brady has the Tuck Rule, Spygate, Deflategate, and a couple of crappy 40-yard drives made with cheap dink-and-dunks to win the Super Bowl on an anticlimactic field goal.

He even sucks when he's off the field. Brett Favre had his ranching and outdoors stuff. Steve Young got a law degree and didn't even use it. Marino had cocaine. Brady has ... what? Expensive lunches at douchey restaurants in Italy? At least Favre had the sense to text pictures of his junk to WOMEN. Meanwhile, Brady's doing his best metrosexual bit for the cameras at the Kentucky Derby. Hell, even Wes Welker had the decency to show up drunk and high for that. He's about the biggest dickhead there is, but nothing compared to Brady.

[86WARD]

Fabre had pain killers too. Brady has that picture going down the water slide. Brady wins!!!

[EzraTank]

LOL guys, don't let you hate get in the way. Brady is legit. The guy has 4 Superbowl rings, that's not a system. He gets it done.

[Butch]

LOL guys, don't let you hate get in the way. Brady is legit. The guy has 4 Superbowl rings, that's not a system. He gets it done.

Shady is anything but legit, he benefitted from the teams cheating ways. All 4 of his rings are tainted and he is completely a system QB. Easy to get things done when you know what the other team is doing because your team cheated.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Shady is anything but legit, he benefitted from the teams cheating ways. All 4 of his rings are tainted and he is completely a system QB. Easy to get things done when you know what the other team is doing because your team cheated.

yup, I agree.

the questions to a test are always easier when you are illegally provided with the answers beforehand.

[86WARD]

LOL guys, don't let you hate get in the way. Brady is legit. The guy has 4 Superbowl rings, that's not a system. He gets it done.

Let's not go overboard and act like he didn't get "help".

[Rotorhead]

Wow, seems we had this discussion before, if it wasnt a system thing, then when Marsha was out that season, how was his backup (who has done nothing but lose since) able to win 10 (?) games that season? It is a complete system thing as well as the fact 6 of their games have been pretty much gimme's for his entire career. Put Marsha on most any other team, and he may have 1 ring, maybe. He is a good QB, but he is a good QB that has a very good system and 6 gimme games a year. Add to that, the only times they won the SB, they have been under questionable circumstances . . . not one time did they go all the way with a clean win.

[Drazo85]

Wow, seems we had this discussion before, if it wasnt a system thing, then when Marsha was out that season, how was his backup (who has done nothing but lose since) able to win 10 (?) games that season? It is a complete system thing as well as the fact 6 of their games have been pretty much gimme's for his entire career. Put Marsha on most any other team, and he may have 1 ring, maybe. He is a good QB, but he is a good QB that has a very good system and 6 gimme games a year. Add to that, the only times they won the SB, they have been under questionable circumstances . . . not one time did they go all the way with a clean win.
It's a system all right, a cheating system.

[TD's & Beer]

If Toussaint plays a good game as a blocker,catch a few ball and good in short yard situation, I'll be happy..

Agreed

I still hope Deangelo can play -- losing your starting RB a week before the playoffs 2 years in a row just sucks.

Aditi says he was walking around the locker room without a limp - maybe there's hope

https://twitter.com/akinkhabwala

[86WARD]

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a good amount of Todman too...

[Steelman]

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a good amount of Todman too...

Maybe Boykin can loan him the keys to the doghouse.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Toussaint: 'I want to prepare to hunt'

Teresa Varley
Steelers.com

http://www.steelers.com/assets/images/imported/PIT/photos/2016_Photos/2016_Centerpiece_Misc/01_January/Roethlisberger_Toussaint_CP_1616.jpg

RB Fitzgerald Toussaint is preparing in case his number is called.

DeAngelo Williams didn’t practice on Wednesday, still recovering from a foot injury suffered against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

But Fitzgerald Toussaint took advantage of every snap he had to prepare in case his number is called to carry the load for the ground game on Saturday night against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card game.

“These past couple of weeks Wednesdays have been big days for me, getting a lot of reps because DeAngelo had played the entire game,” said Toussaint. “I think it helps me a lot. It allows me to apply my off the field stuff on the field so I can be ready.

“I just want to prepare to hunt. I think that is going to be the key to this game.”

Toussaint stepped in for Williams when he went down last week, and while he had only 18 carries for 42 yards in the regular season, his teammates have confidence that he can get the job done if Williams isn’t able to go.

“He is a good runner. He gets downhill,” said center Cody Wallace. “We are comfortable with him in protection as well. He knows his assignments. If you watch him on the practice field all season the guy finishes all of his reps and he is getting downfield. He gives it his all out there. His overall attitude on the field is great.”

Toussaint moved up the depth chart this season, going from practice squad when the season began, to the active roster on Nov. 27, to No. 2 running back because of his work ethic.

“I take pride in my work ethic,” said Toussaint. “I go out there every day and put it all on the line. I will be ready if my number is called. I hope DeAngelo is good, but I have to be ready to take on that task.”

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Toussaint-I-want-to-prepare-to-hunt/cd412f5e-572f-4cea-8684-0cc8c1502887

[Steelman]

“I just want to prepare to hunt. I think that is going to be the key to this game.”

Great quote from a young guy. Love it.

[cubanstogie]

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a good amount of Todman too...
I think so too unless Fitz comes in and explodes, which I don't see happening but would be pumped if he did. Todman is fast and can be a weapon receiving IMO. My biggest concern is 3rd and 1 or 2 where Deangelo excelled, those conversions will be much tougher if Cincy knows it's a pass play every time. I didn't get the Browns game on west coast, I was sweating it out watching the Bills and Jets so I haven't seen Fitz carry the ball. Does he have the ability to move the pile or get extra yards after initial contact?