The chess board for Teryl Austin's defense, in a flash, will be filled by pieces who perhaps were not on the radar to begin the season.
There is no time for licking wounds, though, as a pivotal AFC North matchup against the Browns, owners of the NFL's No. 3 rushing attack, Sunday at 1:02 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium will go on as scheduled, of course, without Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander, Keanu Neal and Montravius Adams.
Holcomb and Alexander had already been declared out for the season, but Fitzpatrick, Neal and Adams were declared out for this game with the final participation report Friday afternoon.
"Well, I think you always have to take into account injuries, but I think playing the team we play, we'd better have linebackers that are ready to play," Austin said. "I think that's really the big thing. We know they're going to run the ball and try to run the ball effectively, so we'd better make sure we have the right guys in the game, and I don't think that is a major schematic change or major anything like that. It's just that we know Cleveland, and Cleveland knows us. We'd better bow up and get ready for a tough football game."
At inside linebacker, Elandon Roberts is shifting into an every-down role, while Mark Robinson is expected to see an uptick in playing time. The doors are also open for Mykal Walker and Tariq Carpenter, though, with the former earning an endorsement from Mike Tomlin Tuesday because of his experience in Atlanta.
Tomlin emphasized the Steelers were not going to go outside the building for a new linebacker, and he outlined the importance of having an experienced player like Walker -- and his 107 tackles and six passes defended from a season ago -- at the Steelers' disposal via the practice squad.
"He's not on our practice squad for development, to be quite honest with you," Tomlin said of Walker. "He's on our practice squad to learn what to do and to position and ready himself for a moment, such as what's going to probably transpire this weekend. Tariq has been a guy that's been on our practice squad for developmental defensive reasons, yes, but also because he was a known special teams commodity. I think he had nine special teams tackles for the Green Bay Packers a year ago, for example. And so, when we put him in helmet last week and asked him to absorb, you know, a core special teams role, we were not surprised he was able to be productive and make a tackle on kickoff, for example."
Walker's strength is within pass coverage, which could be a key factor in earning snaps alongside Roberts. Roberts has a nose for the ball in the running game. Robinson is more of an unguided missile in the run game, in a good way, but has notably struggled in pass coverage.
Walker told me this week he has been told to "be ready" for a role on Sunday. On Friday, he reinforced he’s preparing to play, and he added he got some snaps as the signal caller with the green dot on his helmet in practice.
"It's just exciting," Walker said. "Even in my whole life watching football, something about Mike T just gets you excited. He's always a guy I wanted to play for. This division is hard-nosed football and certain people have told me he's a finesse guy and this and that, and now I'm playing in the most physical conference there is. I'm just excited to get out there."
At the back end, there will be opportunities for Trenton Thompson and Elijah Riley. Thompson, a former teammate of Damontae Kazee in college at San Diego State, said Friday he earned "real defensive reps" in practice this week and was preparing to play.
"Just to be ready, just like I was last week when I suited up and got thrown into the mix," Thompson said. "Just told to stay ready and getting my reps in at practice to be ready. ... I've been getting real defensive reps at safety, at my position. If it comes down to it and I've go to go in, I'll be in."
Adams told me Friday he was still recovering from a right ankle injury sustained on the first play of the Nov. 2 game against the Titans. He said Cam Heyward rolled over it at the end of the play. He is targeting a return to game action next Sunday in Cincinnati.
“Not quite,” Adams told me. "Definitely won't be this week, but the plan is, right now, to definitely be back next week. Just keep working it little by little. It's definitely made some jumps but not quite there right now."
Tomlin gave a booming endorsement for the play of Keeanu Benton in his press conference Tuesday by saying Benton has come along like "gangbusters." Benton will play another pivotal role in slowing down the Browns' ground game, and Adams said Benton's play has been to no surprise internally.
"I don't even know if I would say 'developed,' but his play has been consistent," Adams said. "I'm sure he could have been a Day 1 starter from the day he got here. But at the end of the day he's doing what the team needs. That's all we can ask for. When I'm in or out, I'm happy for him either way. I just want him to keep growing and keep getting better.
