Patrick Peterson made his first career start at safety in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Peterson had an interception and generally thought he played well, but he told reporters, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, that he needs to do a better job tackling.
“I didn’t have to make any open-field tackles. Honestly, in my opinion, that’s what safety is going to come down to for me,” Peterson said, per DeFabo on Twitter. “Because I feel like I have exceptional ball skills, where I can track the ball wherever it is. It’s just going to come down to getting those open-field runners down when those opportunities present themselves.”
Peterson had just two total tackles, one solo, against the Bengals. He had the interception on a bad throw from Bengals QB Jake Browning and generally played well in coverage. But he has a much larger tackling responsibility than he did while at corner, and it’s going to be the part of his game that he most needs to focus on improving as he takes on a larger role at safety.
While Saturday was Peterson’s first start at the position, necessitated by injuries to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson and Damontae Kazee’s suspension, he has played the position this year, most extensively in Week Nine against the Tennessee Titans. It’s a change from what he’s done most of his career in which he’s just primarily played cornerback. Upon signing with Pittsburgh though, the plan was for Peterson to move around a bit, and now he’s fully focused on playing safety because it’s what Pittsburgh needs him to do.
His versatility has been a real asset for the Steelers this season, and he’s overcome some early-season struggles to develop into an important piece of the Pittsburgh defense.
He’s the ultimate team player, willing to do whatever the Steelers need, and that’s evident now with his stint at safety. Pittsburgh has a chance to get Thompson back this week, but the team might still opt to roll with Peterson and Eric Rowe. Both of them played well and had interceptions against the Bengals, despite Rowe playing his first game of the season.
It’s a testament to both veterans for being ready and to the coaching staff for having both guys ready to go, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two of them start again even if Thompson returns. Obviously, once Fitzpatrick gets back, he’ll take back his starting spot at safety.
We’ll see if Peterson can continue to build on his success as he’s expected to make his second start at the position on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
