PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Never in his career had Devin Bush played fewer professional snaps than he did last week against the Ravens. Bush played FIVE snaps. What will that number look like this week?
It had been part of a progression of downward snap totals. In Week 15 against Carolina he played in a career low 25 snaps with four tackles. He broke that career low with 21 snaps against the Raiders with three tackles and then the five against Baltimore with two tackles.
Rookie Mark Robinson took most of those snaps last week and finished with seven tackles. Robert Spillane has taken the other snaps, the undrafted Spillane played 100% of the snaps the last three weeks. Look for that to continue this week, but you probably will see more of number 55 out there against the Browns.
“Nobody likes to be in or out, kind of not in there as much as they’re used to being,” said Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin. “But he handled it like a true pro, and we’re going to need Devin to play depending on what package we’re in.”
“That was pretty specific last week, what we were doing in Baltimore, and you’ll probably see Devin a little bit more this week.”
Middle linebacker Myles Jack says he really wants to play on Sunday, but it’s tricky dealing with a groin injury over the last month and he hasn’t been able to practice all week. There is a chance if Jack dresses for the game, Robinson won’t even see the field.
Robinson only played his final year in college at linebacker. He was a converted running back at Ole Miss. It’s another win or out game for the Steelers against a Cleveland scheme more complicated, at least from the passing game, than the Ravens. Austin wants to be cautious.
“I think, right now, I don't want to put too much on him,” Austin said. “I mean, it was one game that he really kind of showed up and made some good plays. So, it’s like anybody. He’s got to continue to put some things together and continue to grow as a football player. Not just being able to run and hit somebody, he’s got to understand scheme, and what you're trying to do and how to get it done, and all the different things that go along with being an NFL player. We’ll find out as we move along, but we like the way he’s heading.”
They liked Robinson from the beginning and when he was still available in the seventh round, they felt like it was worth the risk.
“You watch how he plays, and you go, ‘Oh, okay. You like that kid’; he's got some intangible stuff that you like.
Then when you get him here, you really like him. He’s wide eyed, always ready to go. Then, when you get to camp and put the pads on, that's when you really start to like him. You knew what he was doing, he had some learning to do. Like all rookies, got to figure it out. But you saw he had an appetite for contact and appetite for the game. He loves it. That’s when it really came to you that he had a chance.”
While they liked what he did against the Ravens, against Cleveland it might be more watching and learning for the rookie linebacker. And maybe a final look at their 2019 first-round pick.