The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves going into another must-win game on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals, and they will be short-handed on the back end of the defense. The team has already ruled out two safeties in Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson while fellow safety Damontae Kazee has been suspended for the rest of the regular season for his hit on Indianapolis Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. While S Elijah Riley practiced in full the last two days, he still needs to be activated from injured reserve in order to play Saturday and remains listed as questionable.
That means versatile CB Patrick Peterson will likely be lining up at safety again. He filled in Saturday after Fitzpatrick was injured and Kazee was ejected. You can watch Steeler Depot’s very own Alex Kozora break down some of his plays, both good and bad. Regardless, Eric Rowe could make his Steelers debut on Saturday.
LB T.J. Watt was asked about Peterson’s willingness and ability to play safety during his media availability on Thursday, and Steelers.com had the video.
“It’s awesome for a guy like that to just jump into the role, have no complaints about it, true team player,” Watt said. “The guy that’s gonna be a Hall of Famer at corner, move back to safety, be a team player. It was funny to see him in the shoulder pads this week, but that’s just the mentality he has. We’re gonna need him to make some big plays for us, and I’m excited to see him in the box.”
In a week where comments, on-field actions, and off-field behavior have been endlessly dissected, hearing Watt unabashedly praise Peterson’s desire to put the team first even with all the success and accolades he’s gotten over the years is almost a breath of fresh air. If only it was under better circumstances, not the absence of Fitzpatrick, one of the unquestioned leaders on the defense, along with the other starting safety in Kazee and a key backup in Thompson.
“Anytime you lose anybody, it’s difficult,” Watt said. “But a core defender who is vocal, it makes things a little bit more tough, especially when we’re gonna be at home here. Hand signals are gonna be huge.”
It’s nothing new to Watt and the rest of the defense, though. Fitzpatrick and Kazee missed time earlier this season, the inside linebacker room’s depth has been ravaged, and even DL Cam Heyward has missed time.
“The communication aspect of things as a defense, I feel like I repeat myself every week just because of the situation we’ve been in with losing guys,” Watt said. “But like I said, the guys that have been here, we’ll continue to educate and help the guys that are stepping into those roles get that job as fluidly as possible. We’re gonna play sound defense and that’s what it’s gonna take to win football games.”
Perhaps Peterson having more practice time and entering Saturday’s game expecting to start at safety will help. Regardless, the safety position has been badly bitten by injuries (and a suspension) this season. He has big shoes to fill, but even as a player of his caliber, he’s shown a willingness to step in to do whatever he can to help the Steelers.
