Throughout their 3-0 start to the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had to overcome quite a bit of adversity, particularly on the injury front.
Just days before the season opener in Atlanta, starting quarterback Russell Wilson went down with another calf injury, putting Justin Fields into the lineup. Fields has responded in a big way, helping pilot the Steelers to three straight wins, something he never did in Chicago.
And Wilson’s wasn’t the only injury. The Steelers lost prized rookie Troy Fautanu for the season due to a knee injury and lost starting guard Isaac Seumalo for the first few weeks due to a pectoral injury suffered in practice as well. On the defensive side of the football the depth has been tested with outside linebacker Alex Highsmith going down, depth cornerback Cory Trice Jr. getting hurt, and even losing punter Cameron Johnson for the season with a gruesome knee injury in the season opener.
Despite those injuries, the Steelers continue to roll on.
Along with some impressive defensive numbers and the ability to convert third downs and avoid the killer mistakes, that ability to battle through injuries and keep finding ways to win is what has impressed ESPN’s Bill Barnwell the most about the Black and Gold, a team he expected to take a significant step back in 2024.
“The most pressing concern for the Steelers might be injuries. They’re facing one of the most significant injury lists in the AFC, especially along the line of scrimmage. Nate Herbig tore his rotator cuff before the season while rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu suffered a serious knee injury in practice and could miss significant time. Guard Isaac Seumalo hasn’t yet played in 2024 as he battles a pec injury although he has avoided injured reserve, which suggests he should be able to return in the coming weeks,” Barnwell writes, according to ESPN.com. “There’s more. Alex Highsmith, the team’s second-best pass rusher behind T.J. Watt, left the Chargers game with a groin injury that should keep him out for the next couple of games. Running back Najee Harris was wearing a sling in the facility this week while recovering from an arm injury, while Jaylen Warren was pulled from the Chargers game by Tomlin because of his limitations while dealing with a knee issue. Corner Cory Trice, who had the game-sealing interception against the Broncos, was also placed on injured reserve. The Steelers keep on ticking on, though.
“Nick Herbig stepped in for Highsmith and had two sacks against the Chargers. Cordarrelle Patterson has a track record of thriving under Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Fields has stepped in admirably for Wilson. What would break other teams only seems to fuel the Steelers. And with games against the Colts, Cowboys, Raiders, Jets and Giants before their Week 9 bye, there are plenty of winnable games coming up for Tomlin & Co.”
Despite all of the injuries, the Steelers are still finding a way to keep ticking, playing some good football in all three phases.
It helps that they have a bully mentality, one that is allowing them to fire on all cylinders and doing the punching in the mouth.
That said, it is concerning how banged up the Steelers are, and it started before training camp with Wilson’s injury that he sustained during the conditioning test while pushing a sled. There’s been some bad luck and a real injury bug in the first year under the new training staff, which is concerning.
But those injuries issues, which could — and probably would — break other teams has only fueled the Steeler. They are very much the next-man-up team, one that buys into the messaging that head coach Mike Tomlin preaches, counts on its depth and really thrives regardless of who is in the lineup.
That was the case last season, too, when the Steelers were decimated by injuries and were signing guys off the street to play key roles. Then, when those guys played well, it showed just how prepared the Steelers were from a coaching perspective.
That’s been the case so far this season, too.
Maybe the injuries and the lack of depth at certain spots behind those injuries catch up to them eventually. But right now, based on the way the Steelers are playing, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Instead of breaking the Steelers, it’s fueling them. It’s fueled them to a 3-0 start, and based on how the schedule looks in the weeks ahead, could fuel them to an even better start under Tomlin, which could put them in a great position for the postseason.
