The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is still beat up, now likely without T.J. Watt for Wild Card weekend. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander aren’t coming back next week either (or at any point this season). But if there’s a position group that’ll look much different for the postseason, it’s safety.
For weeks, the Steelers have effectively been using fifth and sixth-string options. Patrick Peterson and Eric Rowe have finished out the year as the team’s starters and to their credit, they’ve played well. Peterson made the quick adjustment from corner and quickly warmed to the idea of playing safety on a permanent basis, even if his tackling will need some work. Rowe has been a find, a hard-hitter who forced a critical fumble in Saturday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens, helping vault Pittsburgh into the postseason.
But reinforcements are on the way. The biggest being Minkah Fitzpatrick. Questionable heading into the Ravens’ game, he was ultimately inactive and did not dress, still recovering from his Week 15 knee injury. But he told reporters post-game he would play in any playoff games. Now, he he has his chance.
Damontae Kazee will be back, too. Ejected from Week 15’s game against the Indianapolis Colts (one play before Fitzpatrick got hurt), Kazee was initially suspended for the rest of the year, regular season and playoffs. On appeal, his regular season punishment stuck but hearing officer James Trash rescinded the postseason ban. Kazee will be back next weekend. It’s not a “health” issue, of course, but it’s availability Pittsburgh previously didn’t have.
There’s also Trenton Thompson, dealing with a neck injury since Week 15 (the most brutal of games for Steelers’ safeties), though Thompson gutted out the rest of the game. Like Fitzpatrick, he’s slowly been working his way back and likely has a good chance to be medically cleared, though his status might be the most uncertain of them all right now.
Assuming all three are available, Fitzpatrick, Kazee, and Thompson, it’s not clear how Pittsburgh will divide up the workload. Fitzpatrick will start, of course, which takes Peterson’s free safety role. Peterson could still float around but he may see more slot corner work, taking snaps from Chandon Sullivan.
Given his strong performances and Mike Tomlin praise, Rowe could stay as the team’s starting strong safety. Kazee might slide into a dime package role, the sixth defensive back on the field in obvious passing situation. Most recently, special teamer Miles Killebrew has been placed in that role.
At the last, the Steelers have something they haven’t had in weeks. Options. There’s flexibility to play the group how the coaches want it instead of it being dictated to them by injury. And if Pittsburgh is going to be without Watt, which appears probable, they might as well get healthy somewhere else to soften the blow.
