PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Understandable the Steelers won't divulge their defensive game plan playing against the Chargers. This week they won't even say who will be on the field.
From Mike Tomlin to Terrell Edmunds to Cam Heyward to Keith Butler to Cam Sutton, the Steelers who spoke so far this week, none will even say who will fill-in for Minkah Fitzpatrick and potentially TJ Watt. Tomlin even dodged questions about defensive backs Tre Norwood and Miles Killebrew.
"I'd imagine it's gonna be a multi-person discussion," Tomlin said. "Just like the replacement of Mike Hilton has been a multi-person endeavor. When you've
got significant players, those that are multitalented, usually that's the case as opposed to putting the onus of it on one individual."
"I don't know," Heyward said. "We are going to have to have guys step up, I'm not exactly sure who. That's why you have a 53-man roster. There's going to be injuries. There's going to be times where you are not 100% on defense or offense. D-line has to step up a bunch, inside linebackers, corner. We all have to do ours to minimize the role of Minkah not playing."
"What we are going to do, I'm not going to say," Butler said. "They will have to figure that out when they get in the game. Hopefully guys will step up and know how good a player those guys are."
Simply stated, Tre Norwood is listed as Fitzpatrick's back-up. The 2021 seventh round pick from Oklahoma played a lot to start the season. Norwood took 118 defensive snaps, since that point he hasn't had more than 28 in a single game and that was against Detroit, a contest lasting 70 minutes.
"He's a smart football player," Butler said. "He knows pretty much where everyone is supposed to be. He knows where he is supposed to be. He is sharp in terms of what people are trying to do to us."
"The best thing about him is his versatility in terms knowing different positions, not just safety. Nickel, all of this stuff, he knows what everybody is doing. That always helps every player."
"Every time I see him, I'm like 'tighten up Tre'," Heyward said. "I feel like we get out there every time, he's tightened up. He knows where he needs to be. He's a young kid that's always on the move, always on the rise. I just think he does so much for this team, a lot of stuff under the radar. I think he is going to be a valuable piece down the road."
"Mentally tough, physically tough, a guy that's been put in multiple situations to be very production for us," said corner Cam Sutton. "He's always eager to learn. Always around football asking questions. He's a guy that's becoming dependable."
On the season, Norwood has 19 total tackles (six coming in week one), no turnovers and three passes defended (two coming against Detroit).
Another of those options is Miles Killebrew the 28-year-old mostly special teams' player. Killebrew has 17 snaps on defense (11 vs.
Lions) with four solo tackles in 2021. He started three games for the Lions in 2017.
Arthur Maulet played about 175 snaps on defense this year with 18 solo tackles and a pass defended. Maulet has 13 starts in his career, one with the Steelers.
Steelers could add former first-round pick, safety Karl Joseph off the practice squad. They could get creative and say move Marcus Allen back to safety from linebacker.
"We got some unknowns," Butler said. "Do we like what we see in practice, a lot of times we do. What happens in practice and what happens in games sometimes is totally different. How do people perform under pressure? That's what the whole NFL is about. If you can perform under pressure, you will have a job. If you can't, you're not. Simple as that."
"Still have to go into it like you go into every week," Edmunds said. "Not having your partner in crime in there is always tough. We have other guys who can come in and that's fully capable. Just have those guys come out, if they are comfortable during practice and then they can go out there and play the game."
"It's definitely an adjustment whenever you are without a key starter on our defense. It's a next man up mentality now. We have to have someone step up in a big way."
Who that will be, we may not know until 8:20p on Sunday.
