Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has already ruled out S Minkah Fitzpatrick for Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Damontae Kazee is currently appealing a suspension that is likely to be upheld for at least one game. Keanu Neal isn’t coming back this week. Even Trenton Thompson is banged up.
So who is left at safety? Elijah Riley returned to practice yesterday while still on the Reserve/Injured List. There is talk about veteran Eric Rowe, who was signed to the practice squad earlier this season. And then there is Patrick Peterson, who is looking forward to potentially a more impactful role.
“It does because [allow me to have a bigger impact] now I have an opportunity to read the quarterback, read his shoulders and have an opportunity to make more breaks on the football now versus just guarding a receiver or playing a deep third on one side of the field”, he said yesterday, via Teresa Varley writing for the team’s website. “Now I feel like I can be more effective when the ball is in the air”.
An eight-time Pro Bowler at cornerback, Peterson has repeatedly talked about his enthusiasm in embracing a wider role in the twilight of his career. Tomlin has envisioned him as more of a chess piece in the secondary, and given the state of the group right now, he may have to be.
“I felt pretty good, honestly”, he said, about getting his first significant reps at safety. He praised his coaches “putting me in position throughout OTAs, minicamp, training camp to make sure if this opportunity did present itself, I wouldn’t be out there running around like a chicken with my head cut off.”
He also said, as one would imagine, that he expects he’ll grow more and more comfortable with the role with more reps. It’s unclear exactly what the Steelers’ plan is, however. How seriously could they be entertaining the idea of starting Peterson at safety?
They could accommodate for it at the cornerback position. Joey Porter Jr. and Levi Wallace could start on the outside with Chandon Sullivan on the inside, and James Pierre and Darius Rush in support roles for depth. All of them have played this year.
At safety, they also have special teams ace Miles Killebrew as a healthy veteran option with experience in the system. If Thompson is healthy by Saturday, will that be your starting safety tandem? Will veteran safety Eric Rowe, currently on the practice squad, be called up to start?
Or will they turn to Peterson? Odds are, the most visually identifiable answer will be “none of the above”, or perhaps “all of the above”. Tomlin is not afraid to mix and match, so I’m sure we will see a combination of different looks, including Peterson at safety. Might as well throw the kitchen sink at an inexperienced quarterback in Jake Browning and make use of your own uncertainty.
