5 Pittsburgh Steelers Players Who Need to Get Healthy During Bye Week
After nearly five straight months without a break from football, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally reached the bye week. It comes at a good time for the players as they have the opportunity to rest for the stretch drive of the season.
The timing was particularly good for Le’Veon Bell, who had a season-high 33 carries against the Tennessee Titans. His number of carries should only increase after the Steelers released LeGarrette Blount earlier this week.
Outside of the heavy workload for Bell, the offense is healthy with no players on Pittsburgh’s official injury report. That is a stark contrast from the defensive side of the ball, which has eight injured players, including five starters.
Dick LeBeau has made the most of his defensive lineup, but he can only do so much with a lineup that is missing five starters and several backups. Any additional depth after the bye week will provide a significant boost to the defensive lineup.
The current defensive lineup has done enough to keep Pittsburgh competitive each week, but there is a tough challenge right out of the bye. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints visit Heinz Field, and LeBeau will want all hands on deck if possible.
As important as the backups are, the Steelers could use their defensive starters back in the lineup. Here is a look at the five defenders who need to get healthy and back on the field for the final push to the playoffs.
Ryan Shazier
1 of 5
Ryan Shazier’s rookie season has not gone as planned. Although he earned a spot in the starting lineup to start the season, he has only played in five games. He has missed the past two weeks with an ankle injury and has only participated in two games the start of October.
With speed as his greatest asset, an injured ankle may hamper Shazier even upon his return. Even so, he is the most athletic linebacker on the roster and can join the rotation at inside linebacker.
Vince Williams and Sean Spence have done a solid job in place of Shazier, but neither player can match his speed. Even though Shazier is not polished, he has the ability to run with athletic tight ends and running backs in coverage.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (subscription required) believes that Shazier can return to the lineup following the bye. His athleticism and playmaking potential will be a welcomed addition to the defense, even if it comes in a limited role.
Jarvis Jones
2 of 5
Shazier is not the only linebacker selected in the first round to miss a significant amount of action in 2014. Jarvis Jones—Pittsburgh’s top pick in 2013—has only played in three games this year after suffering a wrist injury in Week 3.
The Steelers placed Jones on the injured reserve/designated for return, and linebackers coach Keith Butler told Scott Brown of ESPN.com that he hopes Jones can return before the end of the season:
“I hope he can, but we’ll see,” Butler said. “A linebacker’s got to be able to use his hands. If he can’t use his hands, he can’t play. He’s defenseless, and we’re not going to put him on the field if he’s defenseless so we’ll see.”
Jones has plenty of room to develop as a pass-rusher, but he did show signs of improvement. Through three games he had seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. The lack of playing time—and overall lack of experience—likely means he will be rusty once he returns, but the Steelers could use him.
James Harrison has done a fine job since coming out of retirement and is tied for the team lead with four sacks. However, the 36-year-old linebacker is playing too many snaps, and his backup—Arthur Moats—has not produced at a high level when given the opportunity.
Jones would just be another piece to the rotation at outside linebacker—but a young piece who has plenty of upside and just needs more opportunities to display his skills.
Steve McLendon
3 of 5
With Steve McLendon out against the Tennessee Titans, rookie Daniel McCullers got his first career start ahead of veteran Cam Thomas.
In the end, Thomas played 28 snaps to only 17 for McCullers, per Football Outsiders. However, the start did indicate that the Steelers were willing to try another option outside of Thomas at nose tackle.
Neither option is ideal, as McCullers is very raw and has a lot to learn, while Thomas is best suited to a backup role. The sooner the Steelers get McLendon back into the lineup the better.
McLendon has missed three games this season, including last week’s with an injured shoulder. Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette anticipates that he will return against the Saints, which would be good news for the pass rush.
Though he isn’t a traditional nose tackle, McLendon does have the ability to penetrate the line and get to the quarterback. That will help against a quarterback like Drew Brees. A concern, though, will be his upper-body strength coming off a shoulder injury.
Unlike some positions, nose tackle is not a significant part of the defense, and McLendon may only play 25 to 30 snaps. That means he will not have to worry about a significant amount of wear and tear to his shoulder due to a heavy workload anchoring the defensive line.
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Troy Polamalu
4 of 5
Troy Polamalu is not the same player he once was, but he is still the Steelers' best option at strong safety. He is still able to play well at the line of scrimmage and has the potential to make the occasional splash play that backup Will Allen cannot.
Polamalu told KDKA’s Steelers Late Night that he should be able to return against the Saints (h/t Scott Brown of ESPN.com):
"I believe if the game was this weekend I'd be able to play," Polamalu said.
It would be one thing if Shamarko Thomas was on the field and proved to be a capable replacement for Polamalu, but that has not been the case. Thomas has suffered from injuries all season, meaning that Allen had to step in.
Polamalu is not playing at a Pro Bowl level; however, he remains one of the most productive members of Pittsburgh’s defense. He is second on the team with 51 tackles and has four tackles for a loss, one pass defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
When Polamalu is on the field, LeBeau is able to open up the defensive playbook. He will take full advantage of this once his veteran safety returns to the field.
Ike Taylor
5 of 5
Ike Taylor’s career appeared to be over when he suffered a broken arm against the Carolina Panthers. The gruesome injury occurred when Lawrence Timmons came in to make a tackle but had his helmet collide with Taylor’s forearm.
The Steelers elected to not place Taylor on the injured reserve, and now he could come back as early as November 30, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
However, Taylor told Scott Brown of ESPN.com that he still needs clearance from Dr. James Bradley:
"Doc said he'd rather have me a few weeks late than come back a few weeks early," Taylor said. "I've got to respect what he says."
Taylor added that his arm will not be healed until sixth months, but he is not willing to wait that long. It is hard to blame him. His career is near the end, and the Steelers defensive backfield is very weak without him out there.
William Gay has done an admirable job in the starting lineup and has the team lead with two interceptions—both of which he returned for touchdowns. However, Cortez Allen was unable to lock down a starting job, and the combination of Brice McCain and Antwon Blake in the lineup leave a lot to be desired.
Taylor may not be the shutdown cornerback he used to be, but he is still Pittsburgh’s best option. He has the size and speed to compete with the top receivers and is not as susceptible to the big play compared to the other options.
With three games against quarterbacks ranked in the top half of the league in passer rating, the Steelers will take any help that they can get at cornerback. A player with Taylor’s talent and experience will certainly be a significant piece to the pass defense.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com; all roster and injury information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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