The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals in a compromised position defensively. Their top four safeties were all unavailable, either with injury, like in the case of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Trenton Thompson, and Keanu Neal, or suspension in the case of Damontae Kazee. In their last game, they lost Kazee and Fitzpatrick on back-to-back plays and Thompson suffered a neck injury later in the game. Thompson was able to return last week but ended up failing to practice all week and was ruled out prior to the Bengals game.
This forced veteran CB Patrick Peterson to shift to safety full-time as he did following the attrition last week and practice squad S Eric Rowe to start alongside him. Rowe was elevated from the practice squad on Friday after spending the last month waiting for an opportunity while he learned the defense. He hadn’t played in a game since last season.
Both players performed well in the Steelers’ 34-11 win over the Bengals and each came away with an interception as the Steelers dominated the turnover differential. The Bengals’ 11 points were the lowest the Steelers had allowed since their last matchup against the Bengals in Week 12. Head coach Mike Tomlin discussed the performance from his two safeties after the Steelers snapped a three-game losing streak.
“Can’t say enough about contributions from those guys specifically,” Tomlin said during his postgame press conference on the team’s YouTube page. “Pat Peterson and Eric Rowe, stepping in at safety obviously under the circumstances that we have at the position. Both guys played every down, did a heck of a job communicating, were solid throughout the week, and both provided some splash plays for us in the form of turnovers.”
Peterson has been a ballhawk throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy career but entered this week with just one interception on the season. He now has two after securing one on the Bengals’ second drive of the game. They were in the red zone on 3rd and 9, and QB Jake Browning seemingly tried to throw the ball away, but Peterson was able to secure the interception in the end zone. Like a seasoned veteran, he got his knee to the ground for a touchback to buy the Steelers breathing room on offense. The Steelers scored on their ensuing drive.
As for Rowe, he intercepted a pass in the second quarter. Browning tried to find WR Tyler Boyd but didn’t get enough air under the ball and Rowe was sitting underneath to leap up and grad the ill-advised pass. He returned the ball 25 yards all the way to Cincinnati’s 14-yard line to set up another Steelers touchdown. That made the score 21-0 and put the game out of reach for the Bengals.
S Elijah Riley returned from IR prior to the game, but the team chose to roll with Rowe to help stabilize the back end of the defense. His veteran presence is more necessary than ever now that ILB Elandon Roberts is injured. Roberts wears the green dot that signifies he is the one taking communications from the sidelines. Meanwhile, the full extent of Fitzpatrick’s injury is unknown, but it seems likely the team will once again feature Peterson and Rowe at safety in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks.
