Despite not traveling with the team due to a personal matter, Pittsburgh Steelers S DeShon Elliott arrived in Cincinnati today and has no game status designation. He’s expected to play against the Bengals in Pittsburgh’s Thursday Night tilt, per senior director of communications Burt Lauten.
Elliott suffered a knee injury in Week 1, but since returning in Week 4, he’s been a difference-maker for Pittsburgh’s defense. Having him in the lineup for a key divisional clash on Thursday night is great news for Pittsburgh. Elliott will likely start across from Juan Thornhill tonight.
He missed practice on Wednesday due to a personal reason and did not fly with the team yesterday, but he was able to get to Cincinnati with plenty of time before the game. In the last two games, Elliott has 18 total tackles, an interception and a sack. He had six tackles in Week 1 against the Jets before exiting with his injury.
Elliott playing tonight means for the second week in a row, the Steelers defense will be fully healthy. While special teams ace Miles Killebrew and WR Calvin Austin III are out for tonight’s game, the Steelers will have their full complement of defensive starters. Last week, the Steelers had six sacks en route to allowing just nine points against the Cleveland Browns, and the team also dropped a number of interceptions they should’ve caught.
The Steelers will need to repeat that performance and apply pressure on Joe Flacco. Having a safety who can make plays all over the field and get downhill in Elliott will be key to the team’s success. He was a bright spot for the Steelers last season, which earned him a contract extension ahead of the year, and Elliott has once again established himself as one of the better safeties in the league.
A win tonight will give the Steelers a 3.5-game lead over the rest of the AFC North, and winning becomes much more likely with Elliott in the lineup.
