'Snake-bit' defense pulls through, even after losing yet another linebacker

For the fourth time this season, one of the Steelers' inside linebackers had to leave a game for good in the wake of an injury.

This injury caused more turmoil for this defense in moment, and so much so that Mike Tomlin felt it apropos to refer to the inside linebacker room as a "snake-bit" group.

In the Steelers' 34-11 victory over the Bengals Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, though, this group of patchwork defenders behind him made plays across the second and third levels of the field, something that hasn't been done over the course of their three-game losing streak.

Elandon Roberts was slow to get up and even slower to get to the sideline after a coverage play with just under 11 minutes to play in the second quarter, and he would be ruled out with a pectoral injury shortly after. That meant the linebacking corps of Mykal Walker, Mark Robinson, and Myles Jack was set to supplement the havoc that T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith were able to generate up front. Then it was the heroics of a brand-new safeties core that helped keep the lid on the top of the defense with Minkah Fitzpatrick out.

This defense delivered. It forced three turnovers -- all Jake Browning interceptions -- and sacked Browning three times en route to allowing just 11 points. This performance helped end a three-game losing streak in which the Steelers allowed 75 combined points.

"The biggest thing was just to play free," Walker said. "The last couple weeks I've been feeling like I can't make a mistake. I've got to be perfect, I've got to be perfect, I've got to be perfect, and the boys out there -- Mike T. had a big speech (Friday) about not being frightened, not letting the outside noise affect you, and it really hit home to me because I've been letting in this outside noise and little things going around have been taking me away from my game. Today Myles Jack, he was huge. He just said, 'Mike, go out there and be free.' That's how I felt. I felt better today."

A comprehensive review of this defense starts with Watt and Highsmith, who were wreckers for the Steelers Saturday. Each contributed a sack and helped draw two false starts in the fourth quarter, the first leading into Highsmith's brilliant interception two plays later:

Highsmith recorded one sack, one interception, one tackle for loss, one pass defended, and one quarterback hit Saturday. 

"It felt great to win by a lot and to just really handle and control the game," Highsmith said. "You know, I think we were up 14-0 in the first quarter of the game and I think everyone was saying on the sidelines, we were just preaching we can't let up. We were up 13-0 last week and let them back in the game and we know what the results were. We did a good job of just staying on it, so I think setting that tempo from the jump helped us come out with the victory."

Meanwhile, Watt was vintage in reminding the national audience just how much of a force he truly is. He led the charge with four quarterback hits, a pass defended, three total tackles, and this sack-fumble of Browning on third-and-long early in the second quarter:

"It definitely was fun. It was a fun game to be a part of," Watt said. "Felt like we were flying around. Any time you're able to have two or three turnovers on defense and see the offense being able to fly around like that, it felt great."

This defense made the Bengals' offense one-dimensional. Browning threw for 335 yards on 42 attempts, but the Bengals were held to just 59 yards on the ground, 13 of which coming off of one run from Joe Mixon. 

The Steelers held the Bengals to just 84 total rushing yards in their two matchups this season.

"Obviously they're a good defense," Browning said. "Any time you get behind with any team it's going to be tough. Everybody's got edge rushers and they can just peel their ears back and really rush the passers, kind of eliminate the threat of the run a little bit when you get down like that. Everybody in the stadium knows you have to throw. Definitely makes it tougher."

The effort from the middle of the defense without Roberts was the best shown since Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander went out for the season. On Saturday, Walker paced the team with eight total tackles and added one for loss while Jack contributed six tackles, two QB hits, and a sack in his first regular-season NFL game since the end of last season.

"They had a good plan to just get me ready, get me in shape, giving me free time," said Jack, who was signed out of retirement Nov. 20. "Obviously you never want to see your guy go down, but I guess in essence they were preparing me for a time where I would need to go in. Kudos to the training staff, coach T coming up with a plan, being patient with me getting in shape. trying to get out there, get in mid-season form coming off the couch. It was fun. Definitely missed some opportunities, missed a couple plays, but I'll get right."

Aside from Robinson, Jack is the lone holdover from the 2022 Steelers' defense and was able to assume some duties within the lines of communication across the middle. Had it not been for him sitting in retirement for the majority of the season and needing time to get back into "football" shape, Jack could have been a fixture in games prior for this defense.

But, Saturday is a nice start for these final three games.

"We just came together," Walker said. "One thing with the backers, we're always going to talk, we're always going to be together, and it was just -- we're going to go out there, whoever we've got and we're going to communicate the whole time and we're going to talk every single play and it just worked out."

Without Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal, Damontae Kazee, and Trenton Thompson, the Steelers had to deploy Eric Rowe and Patrick Peterson as their starting safeties.

Rowe was also signed to the Steelers' practice squad Nov. 20, but he was not prompted into play until this point. Rowe posted seven tackles, second-most on the team, and he defended a pass and registered this interception of Browning in the second quarter, which set up a touchdown run from Najee Harris four plays later:

"The past two days I was just studying tape on Jake Browning," Rowe said. "His shoulders, the way he looks. Once I knew he was locked on one side, coupled with the pass rush hurrying the process, he just stared it down and I just dropped back and he just floated it up. ... Just to help the team wherever it needs. Even throughout my whole career, my biggest thing is just to add value to wherever I'm at. Just to step in, no excuses -- I hadn't played in a game since last year -- but to step in and help his team win, especially in the AFC North and a division rival with Cincinnati at home, it's a great feeling."

Peterson recorded an interception, as well, though his was more of a gift that fell loose from Santa's sleigh than anything. This throw from Browning was a product of poor decision making, but the future Hall of Famer was waiting in the end zone to make this interception:

Right place, right time for Peterson, just like these replacements who contributed heavily to the cause. Those three takeaways from Highsmith, Rowe, and Peterson turned into 17 points for the offense Saturday.

"Like I tell you every week, everybody's in those meeting rooms," Watt said. "We trust in everybody. Everybody's paid to play. We feel very calm with anybody in there and it's all about not trying to do too much and the plays are going to be there and it's just a matter of making them once you have the opportunity. That's what you saw tonight."