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Steelers Cut Linebacker After Latest Special Teams Breakdown

3 Kickoff Return TDs Allowed By Pittsburgh This Year

POSTED: 3:06 pm EST November 17, 2009
UPDATED: 6:33 pm EST November 17, 2009

Backup linebacker Arnold Harrison was waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, becoming the first player to lose his job after three kickoff return touchdowns were allowed in the past four games.

Arnold Harrison
Arnold Harrison

Donovan Woods, an undrafted second-year linebacker from Oklahoma State, was promoted from the practice squad to take Harrison's roster spot. Woods played in five games last year and got cut in training camp before the 2009 season.

Bernard Scott's 96-yard kickoff return for Cincinnati was the only touchdown for either team in the Bengals' 18-12 victory over the Steelers on Sunday at Heinz Field.
Slideshow: Photos From Steelers-Bengals Game

The only previous season that Pittsburgh allowed three kickoff return touchdowns was 1986.

Coach Mike Tomlin said at his weekly news conference on Tuesday that he's analyzing all details of the repeated breakdowns and that there will be more changes on special teams.

AP Photo/Keith Srakocic
Cincinnati Bengals' Bernard Scott, left, returns a kickoff for a touchdown past Pittsburgh Steelers' Keyaron Fox in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009.

"We're looking at schematics and potentially making some changes, but we're also moving some people around, putting some new people in position to play," Tomlin said. "He (Woods) is going to have an opportunity to run down the middle of that unit to see if he can bring some energy to that group. But Donovan Woods is not all of a sudden going to make us the most dynamic kickoff coverage team in the NFL. It's detail. It's about shedding blocks and making tackles."

Kicker Jeff Reed made an unsuccessful attempt to get in the way of Scott's return on Sunday, but Tomlin won't lay the blame at his feet.

"Man, I am not going to get down to evaluating Jeff Reed as a tackler," Tomlin said. "When it comes down to that, we have failed as a coverage unit. I don't lose any sleep on the quality of Jeff Reed's tackles."



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