Stephon Tuitt, Maurkice Pouncey Injuries Leave Steelers Thin at Key Positions

The big story out of Sunday's Pittsburgh Steelers preseason 24-19 win over the visiting Green Bay Packers was not the score, or the touchdown thrown by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to Markus Wheaton, or even the defense's ability to rack up six sacks.

It was injuries. 

According to ESPN Milwaukee, the Packers saw starting guard T.J. Lang leave the game with a concussion, receiver Jordy Nelson suffer a potentially torn ACL and cornerback Damarious Randall get carted off the field. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers also spent part of the game with a wrap on his throwing arm.

The Steelers did not escape injuries either, and a pair of them came at two key positions.

First, starting center Maurkice Pouncey was ruled out of the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter after being rolled up on by Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. 

Later in the quarter, starting defensive end Stephon Tuitt also suffered an injury to his left ankle. He, too, was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

These two injuries couldn't have happened at worse positions for the Steelers, because Pittsburgh is incredibly thin at both reserve center and defensive end. These were light positions for the team the entire summer and thus already cause for concern; now that Tuitt and Pouncey are hurt, the situation could become dire, depending on how long the two players are sidelined.

And it does appear that at least Pouncey will miss some significant time, with head coach Mike Tomlin saying after Sunday's game that surgery is likely for the center.

Tuitt earned the starting defensive end role at the end of last season when Brett Keisel went on injured reserve. With Keisel retiring in the offseason, the job became unquestionably Tuitt's.

Pouncey, meanwhile, has been Pittsburgh's starting center for the last five seasons, making the Pro Bowl four times though he's been nagged by injuries both big (a torn ACL in 2013) and small (hamstring issues).

The depth behind the pair is not inspiring. At center, the next-best option is Cody Wallace. Behind him is Chris Hubbard, who has struggled throughout the summer and the preseason at both guard and center. He was a third-team turnstile at center on Sunday, giving up a pair of sacks on Steelers backup quarterback Landry Jones.

And behind Hubbard are a pair of rookies, B.J. Finney and Collin Rahrig—two players who, if they even make the 53-man roster, aren't ones the Steelers would prefer to turn to this season at such a crucial spot on the offensive line.

It's just as dire at defensive end behind Tuitt. Cam Thomas would be first in line to step in with the starting defense, but his veteran status doesn't necessarily make him a good player; he was Pro Football Focus' last-ranked 3-4 defensive end in 2014. 

The Steelers, though, have no choice but to put Thomas in the first-team defense. Everyone else on the roster behind him simply lacks the experience to step in, at least right away. Those reserve options include rookies Niko Davis and L.T. Walton, along with Matt Conrath, Ethan Hemer and Joe Kruger.

Don Wright/Associated Press

None of the Steelers' backup centers have positive preseason grades, based on Pro Football Focus' metrics. The same goes for the defensive ends, except for Thomas, who did boast a positive grade, primarily for his pass rush, but he earned it against second- and third-string offenses. Against starters, he struggles.

Though the rest of Pittsburgh's starting defensive and offensive linemen can help make up for the absences of Tuitt and Pouncey, it's also obvious that there will be a significant drop-off at both defensive end and center with the two sidelined for any period of time. 

Someone will have to step up during the remainder of the preseason, or the Steelers will need to find ways to hide Tuitt and Pouncey's replacements to minimize any negative impact of having to turn to backups.

It's possible the Steelers could make a trade or at least pick up someone promising from another team's roster cuts. At the very least, they will have to improve their depth at both defensive end and center if they are truly comfortable with leaning on Thomas and Wallace to replace Tuitt and Pouncey.

These were areas of roster weakness for the Steelers before Sunday's game; they could not afford injuries at either position. But now, here they are, stuck making roster adjustments they hoped they wouldn't have to, before the regular season has even begun.