The Pittsburgh Steelers saw all of QB Kenny Pickett, OG Isaac Seumalo and LB Elandon Roberts leave the game and not return with injuries during today’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. One other player injured was S Minkah Fitzpatrick, who head coach Mike Tomlin said suffered a broken hand during the game. Fitzpatrick said the injury occurred during the second quarter, but it didn’t affect him too much. He was casted by team trainers, and did not miss any playing time.
“Not too much. They casted me up during one of the delays. I couldn’t grab with it but I was able to still play, didn’t miss any plays,” Fitzpatrick said via Chris Adamski of TribLive.
He added that he noticed the injury when he was trying to punch with the hand. He also expressed confidence that he’ll be able to play against the New England Patriots on Thursday.
“I’ll be fine,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’ll probably wrap it up, cover it up, like we did today, keep it moving.”
It’s obviously a sigh of relief for the Steelers that Fitzpatrick doesn’t think he’ll have to miss any time with the injury. It’s not entirely unexpected given that he was able to finish the game today, but the Steelers lost Fitzpatrick for four games earlier this season, and he made his return against Arizona. With Roberts going down too, the Steelers’ defensive communication suffered, and as a veteran leader, that’s an area where Fitzpatrick can make a difference.
Not only that, he’s one of the best defensive players in the league and having him on the field is always a positive for Pittsburgh. Obviously, the issue of him not being to grab anybody probably affected his tackling today, but his presence and ability on the field make him a weapon on defense regardless.
Add to the fact that after the loss today, the Steelers need to win on Thursday, and that makes having Fitzpatrick out there all the more important. The Patriots aren’t a good team, and they’ll come into the matchup at 2-10, the same record with which Arizona entered today’s game. No game is a gimme in the NFL, as today proved, and the Steelers are going to have to win against the Patriots. Having as many good players on the field is obviously conducive to winning, and the Steelers are going to need Fitzpatrick.
The fact that Fitzpatrick was hurt just puts another damper on an awful day for the Steelers, but at least he’s able to play through it. Hopefully he’ll be able to maintain his effectiveness.
