The Pittsburgh Steelers face mounting concerns ahead of their crucial matchup this Sunday as multiple injuries plague their defensive lineup. Starting inside linebacker Cole Holcomb is questionable due to an illness. This creates a major hole in the team’s run defense, which will have to be especially focused on stopping Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor.
Holcomb’s potential absence raises serious questions about the Steelers’ ability to effectively slow down the Indianapolis Colts’ offense. Not only is he the linchpin of their defensive strategy, his absence due to illness would add even more burden to their already stretched-out defense.
Further compounding the Steelers’ defensive problems, Malik Harrison has been put on injured reserve for a knee injury. He is indeed designated to return and is on the back end of his 21-day practice window. His potential return would be a huge shot in the arm for a flagging Cowboys linebacker corps. Yet, questions remain about his preparedness for game action.
Perhaps the biggest loss will be in the secondary, where Jabrill Peppers has already been ruled out for the game after aggravating a quad injury. Peppers was reported on the injury report for the first time when listed as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. He wasn’t seen on Friday at all. With his departure, that leaves Juan Thornhill as the only player at free safety. This new reality places more pressure on the Steelers’ defensive backfield.
When DeShon Elliott’s hyperextended knee severity landed him on injured reserve, Chuck Clark—just coming back from COVID himself—stepped up to take on some of Elliott’s responsibilities. Now, Clark is questionable for Sunday’s game due to an illness. Clark’s involvement may be the most essential of all, especially to the Joint and Zip defensive schemes he has ample experience operating.
“We’re going to try to do the best we can to get him ready to be available for us in some capacity,” said defensive coordinator Teryl Austin regarding Clark’s potential availability.
Darrick Forrest and Jack Henderson are both good safety options on the practice squad. Their relative inexperience could limit their options for the team if Clark is ruled out as well. Meanwhile, Kyle Dugger, who was recently traded from the New England Patriots, practiced with the Steelers for the first time on Thursday. His learning curve to fitting in with the team will be an interesting storyline to follow as he gets used to Mora’s new defensive system.
With the Steelers preparing to play their next game, things aren’t great. They need to be the first to acknowledge injury concerns while developing a better defensive game plan to face such a strong opponent. The health and performance of their major actors will be the most important factors in deciding whether they’ll succeed on the field.
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