PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Even when the Steelers had Ike Taylor and Deshea Townsend at corner and Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark at safety they struggled against Tom Brady. Sunday they will start a NFL first-round pick, a second-round pick who has bounced around, a seventh-rounder and undrafted free agent against arguably the greatest quarterback ever.
“The guys we have are the guys we’re going to have to play,” said Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin. “They’ve been working. The nice thing is we have guys that have played in NFL games before so it’s not an inexperienced guy that’s never played in a game.”
Tyson Alualu threw up the ‘next-man’ mentality, but knows when some of your top players are out against this challenge, it will tough.
We know about Terrell Edmunds as he returns from missing a week due to a concussion. Tre Norwood started his first NFL game as a rookie in Buffalo last year. It will be his sixth overall start with an interception and 50 tackles to his name. He’s the guy Mike Tomlin famously referred to during the 2021 NFL Draft as his ‘Swiss Army knife’. This time he’s filling in for the All-Pro Fitzpatrick.
“I feel comfortable with our communication,” Norwood said. “That’s coming from the work that we put in this week. The confidence level you can see has grown throughout the week. Spending extra time in the meeting room with having those moving pieces in the back end.
I feel good with it. We have to make sure we come ready on Sunday to have that same communication from snap one to the last snap of the game.”
6’ Josh Jackson will start at one corner position. Signed to the practice squad just before the season started, he was the Packers 2018 second-round pick from Iowa. He’s played in 46 NFL games, 15 starts, all with the Packers. He has 92 career tackles (73 solo), two tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles, 12 passes defended and no interceptions.
“Just trying to show play-making ability,” Jackson said. “Through practice trying to show that I can be trusted on the field, just being consistent.”
The other corner is a more familiar name, James Pierre has been with the Steelers from the start as an undrafted rookie out of Florida Atlantic. The 6’2” Pierre has started four of the 38 NFL games he’s played with an interception, 65 tackles (52 solo), a tackle for loss and four passes defended. He has played 464 career defensive snaps (most last season).
“Just try to show up and play a game,” Pierre said. “Do whatever I need to do to put my team in the best position to win.”
Pierre beaten out by Ahkello Witherspoon late last season, but the team has always been intrigued by his size.
“They practice hard,” Austin said. “That’s how they practice. So, we expect when the guys have an opportunity to go into a game that they’ll perform up to their capabilities and they’ll understand what we’re trying to get done. Again, like I said, I think the thing that they were put into last week, they gave us a great effort.”
“I feel comfortable with our communication,” Norwood said. “That’s coming from the work that we put in this week. The confidence level you can see has grown throughout the week. Spending extra time in the meeting room with having those moving pieces in the back end.
I feel good with it. We have to make sure we come ready on Sunday to have that same communication from snap one to the last snap of the game.”
Veteran Arthur Maulet will be there for many situations and safeties Miles Killebrew and Elijah Riley have some NFL experience. Norwood said so many of them can do different things.
“I give credit to our coaches, dating back to the Spring during OTAs,” Norwood said. “That was our mindset this year, that we don’t want to have that label. Being a corner, being a safety, being a nickel, everybody learning all the roles on the back end for circumstances like this. Having that versatility and having guys play multiple positions helps out a lot. It allows us to use those moving pieces and not feel uncomfortable about it.”
“We’ll see how they do on Sunday, but I like where we’re going in terms of knowledge and what we’re trying to get accomplished,” Austin said.
Did I mention this group is going against the quarterback who has thrown for the most yards in NFL history, the most touchdowns (by 60) and the most wins (by 21) in NFL history.