PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – This is a player the Steelers got in a trade that made a big difference and he won’t be playing for the Steelers Thursday night. What the Steelers will do to try and replace Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The quick answer is they don’t have one player who can make up for Fitzpatrick, even though Damontae Kazee will likely play his position, the consensus is they all will have to step up.
“It's a multi-man job, not a one-man job thankfully,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “We have some veterans back there, guys like (Miles) Killebrew and Kazee and Keanu Neal who are veteran NFL players, and that lessens the impact hopefully, but obviously it's not a one-man job when you're talking about replacing Minkah (Fitzpatrick), whether you're talking about his play making ability or his hub of communication ability.
Neal and Kazee will start, they’ve actually played together before with the Atlanta Falcons. The pair combined for 12 solo tackles in the game against the Jaguars. Neal said it will be on them to lead the communication aspect of missing Fitzpatrick as Kazee said it’s about next man up and not just the two starters.
“As a group, it’s not going to be one guy,” said defensive captain TJ Watt.
“Maybe simplifying some things if we have to. More than anything it’s communication, all great defenses have great communication. It’s kind of elevated when you have a guy like Minkah who is out.”
“We have multiple guys that have to step up,” said defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. “Guys are going to have to do some different things, and it’s our job on a short week to try to get them in there in the right positions so they can play to their strengths. But it’s hard, you’re not going to replicate that guy. That guy is really good, and he does a lot for us. We’ll do it by committee and have that committee-hopefully get the committee in the right spots so they can perform well.”
“We just got to attack it as a team,” said safety Miles Killebrew. “When someone goes down, we got to move. We got to position the next guy up and cover the bases. Obviously, Minkah is a huge communicator. Guys are going to have to step up, including myself, when their number is called and communicate. It’s something we have to talk through and handle it one play at a time.”
Killebrew is one of those who will get an opportunity, he got reps filling in when Fitzpatrick went down Sunday. Kazee said Killebrew is a big body who can play in the box and also cover tight ends.
The 30-year-old has made numerous special teams plays for the Steelers and serving as special teams captain. Killebrew has played 662 defensive snaps in his career and said he’s a safety and it’s an opportunity to show his readiness.
“I drafted Miles in Detroit, and I had him, so I know about his ability to make plays,” Austin said. “I’ve seen him intercept-run it back for a touchdown and make big hits, so he has that ability to make some splash plays. The biggest thing with him is really the consistency in his play, and that’s what we’ll be looking for.”
“He can play on the edge. He’s a good athlete. He can tackle in the open field just like he does on special teams, and he’s been doing that role for us since he’s been here. I think in some of those instances when we need a big guy to play on the edge, he can do that, and I think that’s why we have faith in Miles.
They also have Elijah Riley. The 25-year-old started seven games for the Jets in 2021 and has played in every game this year, although 133 of the 143 snaps he’s played have been on special teams. Although he says he’s been working on special teams with the thought of being able to get into a game at safety. He’s been mentally preparing.
“Minkah is an All-Pro guy, he’s a massive contributor to this defense beyond just his playing ability,” Riley said. “We each have to be able to step up to the plate. We are all pros. We haven’t all reached All-Pro, but we want to win games as a collective. We are not expecting anybody to be Superman, but we want everybody to be able to do the job.”
There is also the possibility of having Patrick Peterson play a little safety.
“He displays really, really good football intellect,” Tomlin said. “That's one of the things that attracted us to him. As I mentioned last week when we lost Cam Sutton in free agency, that made him an attractive option because of his flexibility, positional flexibility and his football intellect that will allow him to move around and do some of the things that Cam was able to do when he was here.”
“It’s definitely unfortunate because he’s (Fitzpatrick) a leader in our defense,” said linebacker Alex Highsmith. “He’s one of the best in the league at what he does. It definitely sucks losing a guy like that, but it’s just an opportunity for other guys to step up. I know we have capable guys who are going to be able to fill in for him. I’m excited to see how those guys step up and put in the work for us.”
“It’s football,” said linebacker Elandon Roberts. “You come in each week hoping you got all your guys, especially a leader like Minkah. He brings an attitude. You have to prepare a little bit more, communicate a little bit better. Everything has to be up a notch because of the loss of him for this game.”
“We won’t have as much time, but I think we have enough time to get what we need done,” Austin said. “We’ll work all the way up until game time to do the best we can to make sure we give our guys-get them in the best positions so we have the best opportunity to operate at a high-level.”