Over the last three weeks, veteran safety Damontae Kazee has had to sit out and watch the Pittsburgh Steelers battle for a playoff spot while serving his suspension for his hit on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in Week 15, a loss against the Colts on the road.
Now, after the Steelers made their way into the playoffs after winning three-straight games down the stretch and getting some help from the Tennessee Titans in Week 18, Kazee is back thanks to his suspension ending.
After missing three weeks, Kazee is stepping into a surprisingly strong situation at safety for the Steelers. Once Kazee went down and the Steelers lost Minkah Fitzpatrick on the very next play, a knee injury causing him to miss three games, there were concerns about the Steelers’ safeties down the stretch.
Credit to veteran Eric Rowe coming up off the practice squad and veteran Patrick Peterson making the move from cornerback to safety late in the season, holding down the back end for the Steelers.
Returning to the fold, Kazee is open to playing wherever and whenever the Steelers need him, according to video via 93.7 The Fan.
“Wherever they put me, that’s where I’m playing,” Kazee said to reporters Monday.
Along with Kazee, Fitzpatrick is slated to make his return for the Steelers, so Pittsburgh is getting healthy — and fast — at the safety position. That’s great news, but it does raise some questions about roles moving forward.
Of course, Fitzpatrick is going to slot back into his free safety role, giving the Steelers that chess piece in the secondary. But what happens with Peterson, who has played well at safety, and even Rowe, who has been quite the find, the Steelers bringing him in off the street in November and then getting great play out of him down the stretch?
Kazee isn’t looking to ruffle any feathers and change things up too much. He’s willing to play wherever. That should help the Steelers’ depth and versatility greatly in the secondary. It should also allow the Steelers to roll out a number of looks against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card round.
Prior to his suspension, Kazee had played 771 snaps defensively, 63 in the box, 11 at cornerback, 57 in the slot and 629 at safety, according to Pro Football Focus. In three games with the Steelers, Rowe has split his time in the box (46 snaps), at safety (68 snaps) and in the slot (35 snaps). He’s moved all over and played very well.
That type of problem is a good one for the Steelers, especially after having depth issues just a few short weeks ago after losing Kazee and Fitzpatrick on back-to-back plays.
Their return to the lineup is a welcome addition, adding great depth and talent to a position that is playing quite well currently.
