Steelers notes: Compressed schedule forces adjustments

Early Thursday afternoon, Alex Highsmith made an observation.

“Today,” he said, “feels like a Friday.”

He isn’t the only player or staff member of the Pittsburgh Steelers who has become a little confused.

As it relates to the typical weekly cadence at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, this week’s Tuesday was akin to a normal Wednesday, its Wednesday was run like a Thursday and Thursday’s practice — as Highsmith noted — was conducted like a normal Friday.

Wait until everyone finds out this coming Sunday will feel like a hybrid Monday-Tuesday and that Tuesday will be a normal Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all rolled into one.

It’s that kind of stretch for the Steelers.

“It’s definitely different because it’s an unusual schedule from what you’re used to,” Highsmith said. “(Other teams) are dealing with it as well. So we just have to be the best at preparing, the best at getting our bodies back getting ready for this game and then the next one. So we have got to handle this adversity better than (the opponents).”

The Steelers are in the midst of a three-games-in-11-days stretch that features Saturday’s game at the Baltimore Ravens and the Christmas Day game (next Wednesday) at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I don’t really pay too much attention to (the unique work week’s schedule),” Highsmith said. “We knew about it coming in, the schedule that we have, so we have to make the most of every day that we have.”

Lots of flags The Ravens lead the NFL in penalties (117) and yardage penalized (997) this season. They are a net minus- 336 yards in penalties as compared to their opponents in their 14 games.

During the first meeting with the Steelers on Nov. 17 in Pittsburgh, Baltimore was flagged 12 times for 80 yards.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh doesn’t like to read too much into what specific officiating crews might have a tendency to call. But he said teams are privy to what the league office communicates to officials — both at large and to individual crews — about what to emphasize.

“We try to train (players) as much as you can,” Harbaugh told reporters in Maryland. “But the bottom line really is just play the technique as best as you can the way it’s coached in every circumstance, and the penalties should come down. They really should by playing good technique, and we’ll be chasing that in this game for sure.”

Russ the distributor Over the past three games, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson has 58 pass completions, or an average of fewer than 20 per game.

But while Wilson might not have a mass quantity of completions, he has spread the ball around.

At least eight Steelers have caught passes from Wilson during each of the past four games — including a season-high 10 receivers who caught passes during a Dec. 1 win in Cincinnati.

“He’s played ball for a long time,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said of Wilson. “He understands coverages, what defenses are trying to do to him with coverages. He throws to the open guy. We’ve got to continue to do that and be in the spot where he’s looking for us.”

Lamar times 2 For the first time in his seven-year career, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson will make two starts in one season against the Steelers.

“We know what type of quarterback he is,” Highsmith said. “We know the plan we have. We know what we have to do against him. We just have to go out there and execute.”

Jackson is 1-4 as a starting quarterback against the Steelers and has lost his past four meetings.

Jackson leads the NFL in passer rating (120.7) and in both yards per pass attempt (8.9) and yards per rushing attempt (6.4).