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          NFL Nation

          Sanders: Steelers weren't on same page

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterMay 1, 2013, 04:00 PM ET
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          When the Pittsburgh Steelers make their way on ESPN's "First Take," they offer some strong opinions about last year. They're so strong that you think the Steelers finished worse than 8-8.

          Everyone remembers two months ago when wide receiver Antonio Brown described a "fractured" locker room. This time, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders talked about how the players didn't always mesh with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

          Sanders' comments came after Stephen A. Smith repeatedly asked him why the Steelers finished 8-8. "Offensively, I felt like we slacked and that's on us," Sanders said.

          When asked if it goes back to the lack of a running game, Sanders said, "I like Jonathan Dwyer. We had a new offensive coordinator. At times, we weren't on the same page. And that's obvious."

          Sanders added, "But this offseason, Ben [Roethlisberger] has been showing up every day ... and we're getting familiar with the offense and we're looking forward to this next season."

          In terms of points, the Steelers improved slightly last season, going from 20.3 points per game in 2011 to 21.0 last season. The big drop-off came in the running game. Pittsburgh averaged 96.1 yards rushing per game last season, which was about 23 yards less per game than in 2011.