Ross Cockrell won coaches over with hard work, Brandon Boykin didn’t

TUESDAY’S STEELERS BUZZ

Have the Steelers found something in cornerback Ross Cockrell?

The second year cornerback has not only supplanted Brandon Boykin on the depth chart, Cockrell playing 24 snaps vs the Rams, Boykin just 2, but Cortez Allen the $26 million dollar man could struggle to get into the rotation once healthy again.

“When [Ross Cockrell] he came in the first thing he did was going over and covering 84 and that’s a good way to make yourself better,[hide]” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said today. ” I was impressed by it because he’s got enough confidence to cover one of the best wide receivers in the league, done a good job with it and he’s played well.”

Cockrell has graded out as the Steelers best cornerback the last two games and Brandon Boykin’s poor work ethic on and off the field in struggling to learn the defense put him in the coaches doghouse from the start and he’s not getting out of it anytime soon.

MIKE VICK ON GETTING A GOOD TWO DAYS OF WORK IN

“It felt good being out there having chance to work with the guys I’m going to be out there with on Thursday,” Vick said. “Trying to get on same page, felt we had a pretty good practice.

Vick on signing a month ago and now starting.

“I just think everything happens for a reason. Keep the faith, keep believing.”

Ben Roethlisberger today revealed he feared the worst when he went down that he might have broken his leg and is pushing Mike Tomlin who has a no crutch rule to let him on the sidelines Thursday night so he can work with Vick.

“We brought him in for a reason,” Roethlisberger said of Vick. “He’s got a lot of experience, good group around him here. Everybody has to do their job and I think we’ll be just fine. He’s a guy that can prove he can throw the ball and run the ball.” [/hide]