Good Tuesday to you Steelers’ fans.
I’ve said it several times in the last few weeks but it bears repeating. “This is just one of those years.” The news that Stephon Tuitt is gone for the year with a torn pectoral muscle echoed through Steeler Nation. No one had been more consistent so far on defense than had Tuitt and now this makes four straight seasons where he has either played hurt or has been lost altogether. At his salary, this is a painful blow. Moving forward however, Tuitt leaves behind some large shoes to fill. Tyson Alualu played well on Sunday night and his time will certainly increase but he isn’t Stephon Tuitt. Look for the Steelers to promote Isaiah Buggs to the active roster and/or snatch a defensive lineman from another team’s practice squad.
Pondering the Quarterbacks
Usually when I take the time to write a regular article I want it to be an opinion that someone hasn’t considered or some information people may not be aware of but yesterday I went with something obvious. There are some segments of Steeler Nation that believe that Devlin Hodges should remain the starting quarterback. I took to the laptop to explain why that is NOT happening.
Tweet of the Day… Jerry Glanville is coaching? I’ll watch just for the sound bites!
Into this @XFLVipers coaching staff with Marc Trestman running the show and Jerry Glanville calling the Tampa Bay defense. https://t.co/RYBAKj2sfL
— Marc Sessler (@MarcSessler) October 15, 2019
The Big Impact on D
With the loss of Tuitt, the pass rush will take a significant hit. His ability to push inside with Cam Heyward and Javon Hargrave has been a major factor in getting T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree loose on the outside. The other area that is going to suffer is against the run. The last three games have seen the run defense limit opposing offenses to just 81 yards per game. I think you can probably flip a coin as to where Tuitt’s loss will felt the most but the real answer is ‘both.’
Optics
Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette reported yesterday that Mason Rudolph did in fact pass his concussion protocol late last week. I wondered this because in most cases, players who haven’t passed through protocol, don’t fly to away games. Yet there was Rudolph on the sideline in LA. This leads me to a question. If Rudolph had been cleared, then why didn’t he start? He practiced on a limited basis all week and attended all meetings as well. I’m going to answer my question. The Steelers did not want him to play because of the ‘optics.’ In other words, they were worried about how it would look to have a quarterback who was knocked out cold on Sunday right back on the field a week later. If this is true and I believe it is, then I’m surprised the Steelers would cave to the political correctness of “how something looks.”
Have a great day Steeler Nation!
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1 comment
My theory is that PEDs, supplements, etc, are the REASON for all the injuries! They give the body an ARTIFICIAL strength, that the body itself cannot keep up with. If they got off of supplements, etc, their bodies would then gain NATURAL strength, thereby making them stronger and more durable. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense….years ago, you did NOT hear about so many blown ACLs, MCLs, torn labrums, torn muscles, etc. The players gained strength more naturally, and as a result, they were more durable. And look at some of today’s players, such as Larry Fitzgerald, who dont use supplements: they are almost NEVER injured. And yes, even Tom Brady falls into that category.