The Steelers have lost the only game they’ve played this season without both Marcus Gilbert and Stephon Tuitt in the lineup.
Sunday against the Bengals, they’ll try to avoid a fate similar to the one that befell them in Chicago Sept. 24 with Gilbert and Tuitt in street clothes. Neither Gilbert nor Tuitt practiced on Friday and are listed as doubtful and out, respectively, for the divisional matchup at Heinz Field.
That Gilbert likely won’t be at right tackle isn’t all that surprising. Prior to returning last week in a win at Kansas City, he had missed the previous three games with a hamstring injury. Gilbert lasted just two offensive possessions against the Chiefs before aggravating the injury again. He was replaced by Chris Hubbard, a fourth-year pro who will start again if Gilbert is unavailable against the Bengals.
The situation with Tuitt, however, is a little more surprising.
Tuitt played the entire game against the Chiefs and seemed fine earlier in the week. Full disclosure: I do a radio show with him on the Steelers Radio Network on Tuesday nights, and he never mentioned any kind of injury, let alone one to his back that would keep him out of this game.
“It kind of sprung up on all of us,” fellow defensive end Cam Heyward told me. “That’s the nature of the game. I expect Tyson (Alualu) and (Javon) Hargrave and L.T. (Walton) to step up big.”
Tuitt had been looking forward to playing the Bengals, a team against which he has his only career interception. That play may have changed the course of the season in 2015, as Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton suffered a broken hand while trying to tackle Tuitt following his interception near the goal line.
Tuitt also took credit earlier this week for a lacerated spleen Dalton suffered in 2014 against the Steelers, saying, “Hand, spleen, I want his entire medical record to be because of me.”
Tuitt said that with a laugh, so we can assume he was at least slightly kidding.
But after he missed the entire week of practice, it does not appear he will get an opportunity to add to Dalton’s list of injuries.
“It’s a little bit surprising,” Heyward said. “I know he really wanted to be out there. We’ve just got to see if we can hold it down this week and see if he comes back next week."
Sunday will mark the third game he’s missed this season after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury to his right arm two plays into the regular season opener at Cleveland. He missed the next two games against Minnesota and Chicago. Alualu replaced him in the starting lineup, but Walton also could see increased playing time, especially on passing downs.
The news wasn’t all bad on the injury front for the Steelers.
Vince Williams, the team’s surprising leader with four sacks at inside linebacker, was back at practice Friday and appears ready to play after suffering a bruised hip against the Chiefs. He had not practiced Wednesday or Thursday but declared himself ready to go.
Guard Ramon Foster and center Maurkice Pouncey both made it through practice Friday and appear ready to go after sitting out Wednesday, while linebacker Tyler Matakevich also appears fully recovered from a stinger he suffered against the Chiefs.