With injuries piling up on Pittsburgh’s defense, other names outside of the notable stars have had to step up, especially in the secondary. With both S Minkah Fitzpatrick and Keanu Neal missing the last two games, Pittsburgh has had to rely a lot on veteran S Damontae Kazee and have S Trenton Thompson step into a bigger role.
Tomlin was asked about Kazee’s impact with Pittsburgh’s other two starting safeties down with injuries. Tomlin noted that Kazee’s impact on the field has been notable as well as his presence in the locker room as a core glue guy.
“Man, he’s been really good and been really steady” Tomlins said regarding Kazee to the media on video from the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “He’s a good communicator. He’s a veteran player. I like the relationship that he has with some of the younger guys, like he and Joey Porter have an interesting relationship, big brother/little brother, if you will. He gives Joey a hard time in all the right ways. Joey’s appreciative of his communication skills and his veteran approach, and I think he’s just been really solid and can’t say enough about him. Wish he would have caught one or two of them balls he got a hand on last week, but we’re working.”
Kazee has played 641 defensive snaps for the Steelers in 2023 (84%) and has racked up 49 total stops (36 solo), two fumble recoveries, three pass deflections, and two interceptions. He made the game-sealing interception a few weeks ago against the Green Bay Packers, picking it off at the goal line on the last play from scrimmage. Kazee’s impact goes beyond the stat sheet as he has been one of Pittsburgh’s primary communicators on the defensive side of the football, having to step up in a big way after seeing Fitzpatrick, Neal, LB Cole Holcomb, and LB Kwon Alexander all miss time as core communicators in that group.
On top of what Kazee’s provided on the field, Tomlin is appreciative of what he’s brought off it as a good teammate and mentor for Porter and other younger guys in the defensive back room. He’s played alongside Thompson, his teammate at San Diego State for a season, aiding in the communication aspect with the younger guys while also challenging them to be their best like any good big brother should.
Kazee isn’t without his blunders on the season. He has missed some plays and could have added to his interception total last Sunday after getting hands on a couple of passes that had gotten tipped into the air. Still, he’s been what Pittsburgh has needed him to be with its star safety out for extended time, helping hold down to fort in the secondary and keep a lid on things on the back end. His communication has been huge in preventing notable coverage busts the last few weeks without Fitzpatrick on the field, and he’s been that high-energy guy in the locker room everyone enjoys having around. Needless to say, Kazee is making his mark in his second season in the Black and Gold, and his presence has helped Pittsburgh’s defense continue to execute at a high level despite being short-handed.
