Logan shows poise and patience against Buffalo
When the Steelers trim their roster to 53 on September 5th, former Canadian Football League star Stefan Logan will be among the 53 players the Steelers will go to battle with when the regular season begins on Thursday, September 10th.
Logan, 28, was a major longshot to make the team entering training camp. He was a player without a position and missed the first two days of camp due to injury
A running back in the CFL, Logan was moved to wide receiver early in camp but was the 8th or 9th wide receiver on the depth chart at best.
Logan’s only way to make the team was to have a sensational preseason as a kick/punt returner on special teams.
After not playing in the preseason opener, Logan made his mark against the Redskins last Saturday. Logan averaged 39.3 yards on four kickoffs. Two of his returns went for 60 and 45 yards.
He also averaged 12 yards per punt return against the Redskins.
While Logan has been a dynamic player in the kick return game, punt returns is where he would earn a roster spot and he did that Saturday night.
Logan starred for the second consecutive week, averaging 15.3 yards per punt return against the Bills, totaling 63 yards on 4 returns.
Logan didn’t put up the numbers he did last week, where he made his mark on kick returns, but his performance against the Bills was more impressive.
Logan showed patience and poise which is key for a star returner. He also showed the Steelers that he is reliable in situations where he has to make a fair catch.
The Steelers are comfortable going into the season with Mike Wallace as their primary kick returner.
The only two reliable punt returners on the Steelers roster are Mewelde Moore and Santonio Holmes. The Steelers prefer to only use Holmes is certain situations and Moore’s duty on punt returns is to secure the ball on punts inside the Steelers 20.
The Steelers now have a playmaker to return punts which they haven’t had since Antwaan Randle El.
Emergence of Logan, puts Burnett in question
The Joe Burnett experiment has ended. Burnett entered the preseason as the Steelers #1 punt returner. A fumble in consecutive games has taken Burnett off of the Steelers radar as an option in the punt return game.
The Steelers like the strides Burnett has made as a corner back. He’s a player they want to keep but it is a numbers game.
Burnett was drafted to give the Steelers an option as a returner for this season. Burnett’s inability to be the Steelers primary punt returner lessens the chances that he makes the team.