We knew that this season wouldn't be easy for the Steelers, not with a schedule that currently ranks third in the league in the category of opponents' winning percentage. But after the Cincinnati game, they're really battling another enemy: injuries.
Already missing Aaron Smith and Willie Colon and dealing with a nagging injury to Brett Keisel, the Steelers likely lost Max Starks for the season with a serious neck injury, it was revealed yesterday. Starks has been placed on IR, which means free agent signee Jonathan Scott just got a lot more responsibility placed on his plate.
Coach Tomlin described it as a "laundry list" on injuries on Tuesday, and that's putting it kindly. The team is also dealing with injuries to Chris Kemoeatu, who suffered a sprained knee on Monday, and Heath Miller, who had fluid on his knee and will be limited.
Also, three Steelers were concussed on MNF in all, including Will Allen, Mewelde Moore, and Red Zone Redman, leaving the team with just two healthy RBs, one of them named "Jon Dwyer". I don't like the sound of that.
In case you were wondering what the schedule looks like the rest of the way, here's what the team is facing:
SUN 11/14 VS NEW ENGLAND 8:20 PM NBC
SUN 11/21 VS OAKLAND 1 PM CBS
SUN 11/28 AT BUFFALO 1 PM CBS
SUN 12/5 AT BALTIMORE 8:20 PM NBC
SUN 12/12 VS CINCINNATI 1 PM CBS
SUN 12/19 VS NY JETS 4:15 PM CBS
THU 12/23 VS CAROLINA 8:20 PM NFLN
SUN 1/2 AT CLEVELAND 1 PM CBS
SUN 11/21 VS OAKLAND 1 PM CBS
SUN 11/28 AT BUFFALO 1 PM CBS
SUN 12/5 AT BALTIMORE 8:20 PM NBC
SUN 12/12 VS CINCINNATI 1 PM CBS
SUN 12/19 VS NY JETS 4:15 PM CBS
THU 12/23 VS CAROLINA 8:20 PM NFLN
SUN 1/2 AT CLEVELAND 1 PM CBS
Outside of playing the league's two worst teams in Buffalo and Carolina, I see a lot of challenging matchups on the slate ahead. Midseason is the time of year when the injury list really starts to blossom and depth gets tested, and at times it has been a genuine problem for this team depending on the player lost (Polamalu and Smith ring a bell?)
Regardless, if this team was able to go 3-1 without Ben Roethlisberger of all players, there's no reason why some of his teammates can't step up to fill the holes in the spots they're needed. The only problem with that theory is that Roethlisberger is one player, and things get a little more tricky when you're introducing multiple new players into the lineup simultaneously. Either way, it sounds like fun times ahead for Mike Tomlin.
Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc: twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com
1 comment:
to cheer everyone up a little, here a link from Yahoo on just how bad the bungals have been in the past 20 seasons:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Ten-facts-about-Mike-Brown-s-record-setting-inep?urn=nfl-284142
Who starts this week?
LT-T. Essex, RG-Legursky, RT-Flozell?
LT-J. Scott, RT-Flozell?
LT-Flozell, RT-J. Scott?
LT-T. Hills, RT-Flozell?
...any way you slice it... i don't like it!
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