PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison feels the teams current defensive woes can be cured.Adding a former first-round pick into the mix can only help.Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said second-year linebacker Bud Dupree is in the plans for Sundays game at Cleveland. Dupree, the teams 2015 first-rounder, has spent the season on short-term injured reserve, working his way back from an injured groin. But he practiced the previous two weeks and could make his season debut Sunday.Any time you can implement a first-round talent like Bud, its always going to be a boost to the positional group and the defense overall, said Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats. From another standpoint, were all competing against each other, so to add another person that you know is going to be productive, it just makes you want to play that much harder.The Steelers placed Dupree on injured reserve during the first week of September after he underwent surgery to repair a groin injury. Dupree, who didnt play in the preseason, was designated to return and began practicing last week. Tomlin will decide whether to activate Dupree to the 53-man roster for Sundays game, which would give the Steelers a five-man rotation at outside linebacker.Everybodys interested in Bud coming back, as am I, but at the same time, we have to work with the guys who are going to play on Sunday and try to win a football game, defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. Thats primary.That has been difficult lately for the Steelers, who have lost their last four games, sliding to 4-5 overall. The defense has allowed an average of 28 points and 134 yards rushing in those losses.You want to try and stop the run, Harrison said. You dont want a team to be able to do two things well, because thats a two-headed monster and its harder to stop that. We want to try and stop the run and pressure the quarterback when we get the opportunities.The Steelers have experienced trouble pressuring the quarterback, too, with 13 sacks in nine games. Thats tied for last in the league, one season after the Steelers ranked third with 48 sacks. The run defense could be the culprit, giving the opposition third-and-short opportunities.Were not putting them into situations where they have to lean towards the pass, Harrison said. If theyre in third and manageable, it gives them an opportunity to go with (the run or pass) and you cant pin your ears back and take off after the quarterback.Harrison, the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has made a career of getting to the quarterback. The 38-year-old Harrison, who could start at right outside linebacker Sunday, has 76 + sacks as a Steeler, a half-sack from the team record of 77 held by Jason Gildon.Harrison thought he set the record last week against Dallas, but the sack was given to Stephon Tuitt, a decision upheld after a review from the league. Harrison doesnt mind. He is more concerned with getting the Steelers back on track this week against Cleveland.Thats just the way it is, Harrison said. You just have to move on and go to the next week.Game notes WR Antonio Brown defended his decision to run out of bounds rather than lateral on the final play last Sunday against Dallas, noting it wasnt a lateral play and defenders surrounded him. They had seven guys in the end zone and four guys around me. In that scenario, you guys tell me, what would you do? Brown said. . DE Cameron Heyward (pectoral), WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot), S Shamarko Thomas (groin), WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder), and RB DeAngelo Williams were all ruled out for Sunday against Cleveland, while S Jordan Dangerfield (groin) and TE Xavier Grimble (quadriceps) were listed as questionable.---For more NFL coverage:
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http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Kyle Toth scored 18 points, Victor Joseph had 16 and Cal Poly defeated Texas-San Antonio 59-47 on Thursday night.Toth, Joseph and Donovan Fields, who had 11 points, each hit three 3-pointers while the Roadrunners went 1 of 14 behind the arc and shot 27.5 percent overall (14 of 51).Joseph hit a 3-pointer and a layup after a turnover to start Cal Poly (4-4) on a 15-2 run. That produced a 22-12 lead when Joseph hit another 3 with 5:11 to go in the firrst half.ddddddddddddhe Roadrunners (2-5) were down 33-19 but came out of halftime with a 10-2 run. Then Fields sandwiched a pair of 3s around a Victor trey in the middle of the second half and the Mustangs went back up by 18, it 52-34. UTSA got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.Jeff Beverly had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Roadrunners. ' ' '
