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PITTSBURGH -- A year ago, Ross Cockrell wasnt ready to stand across the line of scrimmage from one of the NFLs best receivers and more than hold his own.It wasnt so much about confidence or ability, but knowledge. The cornerback needed time to adjust after getting cut by the Buffalo Bills and picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of the 2015 preseason.Yet there he was on Sunday, shadowing Cincinnatis A.J. Green all over the field in Pittsburghs 24-16 victory, playing a vital role in a game plan that limited Green to just two receptions for 39 yards and shutting him out completely in the second half.Theres been a lot of growth and development in my game, Cockrell said. A lot of it is being around these guys, getting to know them. Last year it was just kind of plug and play.With mixed results. The Steelers went 11-7 and posted a significant uptick in sacks and turnovers created in 2015 but also finished 30th in passing yards allowed. Pittsburgh invested heavily in the secondary during the draft -- taking cornerback Artie Burns in the first round and safety Sean Davis in the second -- and while the box score doesnt look that impressive (the Steelers are 31st against the pass through two weeks) all those yards have only translated into two touchdowns allowed during a 2-0 start.Theyve largely kept the ball in front, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. Theyve particularly been stout when the field gets short and good on possession downs. Those are the things that define a secondary and particularly, define a defense. But, theres more plays out there for us.Tomlin pointed specifically to instances where a defensive back managed to get his hand on the ball but failed to bring it in for an interception. Those concerns, however, are nitpicky at best.Though Dalton passed for 366 yards, most of them were check downs to running backs and tight ends as Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler disguised coverages and seemed to throw Dalton off by having Cockrell trail Green, a departure from last season where cornerbacks largely stuck to one side of the field regardless of the matchup.Were doing a lot of things differently defensively, Cockrell said. Its one of the most complex things Ive seen.Some things, however, remain basic. One of the biggest reasons Cincinnati went just 4 of 16 on third downs despite Dalton getting sacked just once (on a play that technically was a scramble for no gain) is because when Dalton dumped the ball off, the Steelers swarmed immediately.Thats just how their defense plays, Dalton said. They let the guy catch it and tackle. They are really sound on the way they play defense. They have done a good job with that.Everyone got in on the act. Burns knocked away a Dalton pass to Brandon LaFell in the end zone. Safety Robert Golden picked up a Tyler Boyd fumble caused by linebacker James Harrison -- judiciously dropped into coverage at times in addition to rushing the passer -- in the final 2 minutes to seal it. Safety Mike Mitchell sent a message early with hard but legal hits to Bengals when they came over the middle.Cockrell did his part too. While making it a point not to disparage the Bills, its obvious hes found a place to call home in Pittsburgh.Its a good culture, a good atmosphere, Cockrell said. You realize theres only one goal and everybody works toward that goal.The young guys included. Burns has rebounded quickly after spending most of training camp dealing with a quad injury. Davis can roam from nickelback to safety depending on the situation and the scheme. Most importantly, theyre absorbing as much as they can.What theyre learning now is the discipline it takes to perform at this level, Cockrell said. Its an important lesson to learn early on.Game notesTomlin said Tuesday WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) will practice this week and could be available on Sunday in Philadelphia. Wheaton practiced last week but was held out of the lineup for a second straight week.---AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLFake Vans Slip-on .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Fake Vans Online . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. http://www.fakevans.com/ . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Wholesale Fake Vans .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Fake Vans Toy Story . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side.SAN FRANCISCO -- Johnny Cueto pitched seven uneven innings for his 18th win and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 7-2 on Thursday night, setting up a wild race to the finish for the NL wild card.With three games left the Giants are one game behind the idle New York Mets and one game ahead of St. Louis. The Cardinals beat Cincinnati on Thursday.San Francisco hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning Friday, the Cardinals play Pittsburgh at home and the Mets close out the regular season in Philadelphia.Cueto (18-5) overcame a shaky start in his first appearance since being sidelined more than a week with a groin strain.dddddddddddd The All-Star right-hander matched his season high of 11 strikeouts, allowed two runs, nine hits and walked one to beat the Colorado for the third time this season.Conor Gillaspie, Angel Pagan and Brandon Crawford had two hits apiece to help the Giants bounce back after getting shut out a night earlier. ' ' '