SCB Steelers Quick Hitters: The ‘Linebacker You?’ Edition

Good Tuesday to you Steelers Nation.

There’s a chance that the Pittsburgh Steelers are holding auditions this week for their inside linebacking position. If you’re interested, head over to the South Side immediately. Don’t laugh, you may have a decent shot. That’s how bad things are right now. Cole Holcomb was lost for the season against the Titans. Kwon Alexander was lost for the season on Sunday. That left them with Elandon Roberts and Mark Robinson. Some fans will suggest that things should be fine as Robinson has shown he can pay the position but that’s not accurate. Robinson is very much an old school, two down linebacker in today’s NFL world. He’s a thumper and a guy that hustles but he’s not what you want in terms of a guy covering in man or in zone. Think about it; there’s a reason he hasn’t played very much this season and it’s not just his pass coverage issues. When Alexander left the game Sunday, the communication issues were obvious and rampant. The middle of the field was wide open to the point that even you or I could have completed a pass. As for Roberts, he is what he is, which is a downhill, run-stopping linebacker who will take your head off. But he’s also a huge liability in pass coverage. So what can the Steelers do? The trade deadline is long past. There isn’t exactly a free agent sitting there waiting for a call. You could poach someone from a practice squad but then you’d have to put them on the roster immediately for at least three weeks. There’s no guarantee that person could pick up the defense in that time let alone in a few days prior to going to Cleveland. In the short -term, I expect to see Mykal Walker elevated to the active roster. He started 20 games over three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons collecting 187 tackles and three interceptions. The Steelers could do far worse here, like having you or I play the spot, but there’s a reason Walker has been on the Practice Squad and not the roster. Mike Tomlin will make no excuses today and he’ll cite his ‘next man up’ mantra. Will it work? We’re about to find out.

Last Week’s Podcast

In case you missed it, the SCB Steelers Podcast 343 presented by DEK Roofing Inc is ready for your viewing and/or listening pleasure. The first 25 minutes feature an interview with John Harris. A former writer with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he has just released a new book entitled “Tomlin: The Soul of a Football Coach.” He interviewed over 100 people for the book on Mike Tomlin including his brother Ed. Check it out!

6-3 But…

I’m guessing you’ve either started a comment with the above phrase or someone else has. Yes the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-3 but no one seems to truly know how. They are the first team in NFL history to have a winning record this late into the season yet be out-gained in every single game. Their losses have all been by 10 or more points while their wins have all been by seven points or fewer with several coming down to the final series. The first thing I can tell you is that you should never apologize for your record. If you follow this team as closely as I do, then you know where the issues are and you have to ask yourself, “Is this sustainable?” I think we’re going to get our answer this Sunday against a hot Browns’ team that is anxious to show our win over them in September was a fluke.

A True Test

As good as the running game has been in recent weeks, it’s come against some fairly average units. Now we take the running game on the road to Cleveland and their top ranked defense. If the Steelers can churn out 130 yards or more I think it will give us a great chance to win. Anything under that will likely mean Kenny Pickett will need to throw it a lot and right now that’s not good.