Steelers confident in DL despite numerous injuries
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Keith Butler didn无毛视频檛 deny the unsubstantiated rumor that he无毛视频檚 activating himself this week to play defensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
无毛视频淚 might be,无毛视频� said the defensive coordinator. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 almost heavy enough.无毛视频�
Butler was kidding, of course, but with Cam Heyward on IR, and Stephon Tuitt and Ricardo Mathews missing practices with injuries, there无毛视频檚 not much left on the active roster.
Butler wouldn无毛视频檛 comment on the progress, or lack thereof, of Tuitt (knee) and Mathews (ankle), but the expectation from teammates is that Tuitt will be a game-day decision and could play.
Does he need to practice?
无毛视频淭hose guys, they gotta know the fronts and stuff like that,无毛视频� Butler said. 无毛视频淏ut it无毛视频檚 not as complex as it is on the back end. Some of the back end stuff, we have to know checks. They have to know some checks, too, but if they无毛视频檝e done it before it无毛视频檚 easier for them.
无毛视频淚 think our guys, whoever无毛视频檚 ready, John will do a good job of preparing them.无毛视频�
John Mitchell has been coaching Steelers defensive linemen for 23 years, so he无毛视频檚 instilled trust in those who would otherwise be worried that the Steelers无毛视频� starters going into their biggest game of the season are L.T. Walton, Javon Hargrave and Johnny Maxey.
That was confirmed to have been the starting group this week in practice, and in case you don无毛视频檛 know them:
n Walton was last year无毛视频檚 sixth-round draft pick who无毛视频檚 started the last two games to give him two career starts;
n Hargrave is this year无毛视频檚 third-round rookie who无毛视频檚 started 11 games this season and moves off the nose to play tackle when the Steelers are in their nickel (about 80 percent of the time);
n And Maxey is still on the practice squad. He无毛视频檚 an undrafted rookie out of Division II Mars Hill University.
Behind them are Daniel McCullers and the other practice squad lineman, Caushaud Lyons.
Tuitt sprained his knee in the first series last Sunday and Mathews injured his ankle and was on and off the field throughout a second half in which the Bengals scored no points and rushed for only eight yards.
How did the Steelers front pull that off?
无毛视频淲e just tightened up the interior line,无毛视频� Butler said. 无毛视频淪ome of the gaps were expanded a little bit, we tightened up the front a little bit, our guys played a little better, we got more comfortable with what we were doing and we knew we had to play. We had to at least try to keep them from getting very few points, if any, in the second half as our offense kept grinding.无毛视频�
Butler said of the group无毛视频檚 veteran, Walton, 无毛视频淚 thought he played technique well during the game. He无毛视频檚 going to get better as the year goes long. He无毛视频檚 a very sharp-minded kid that plays above the neck and he finds a way to do it.无毛视频�
Could that be enough against a Ravens offensive line that无毛视频檚 been intact the last five games, during which it无毛视频檚 paved the way for 4.8 yards per carry and allowed only eight sacks?
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not worried,无毛视频� said linebacker Ryan Shazier. 无毛视频淚 know those guys have the best coach in the NFL at that position. I know they无毛视频檙e going to come ready.
无毛视频淵eah, the Ravens are doing pretty good but I feel like we无毛视频檙e doing pretty good, too. We无毛视频檝e just got to keep playing like ourselves. Even though we无毛视频檝e got new guys in, I know they无毛视频檙e going to do their thing.无毛视频�