Steelers: Non-QB injury could be as impactful as Pickett's absence vs. Panthers
Every once in a while, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reminds defensive lineman Chris Wormley that he got traded within the division. That won't catch Steelers fans by surprise. It's the type of motivation tactic you'd expect from Coach T. "You're not going to let that go?" is Wormley's response to Tomlin, according to […]
Every once in a while, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reminds defensive lineman Chris Wormley that he got traded within the division. That won't catch Steelers fans by surprise. It's the type of motivation tactic you'd expect from Coach T.
"You're not going to let that go?" is Wormley's response to Tomlin, according to his interview with The Sick Podcast, which covers the Steelers.
Unfortunately, Tomlin will have to wait for Wormley's chip on his shoulder to make an impact on the field again until next season. The Steelers defensive lineman suffered a torn ACL last weekend and is out for the season.
That's a huge blow to Pittsburgh's defense.
"You hate to lose a guy that's really starter capable, played a lot of football for us, actually had a really pretty good game going last week, sack, a fumble caused, things like that," said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
"Plus, you have a guy that's been around and has really good leadership and qualities like that."
Cam Heyward knows how valuable Wormley has been to this defense, claiming that he can't say enough about losing the former Baltimore Raven.
The Steelers know they'll miss him on Sunday specifically. They're facing a Carolina Panthers team that preaches an identity centered around the running game. So much so that they even deploy an eight-offensive linemen formation and not necessarily in goal-line situations.
And while the Steelers' defensive tackle room is headlined by standouts Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi, the Steelers are looking for younger guys to step up in Wormley's absence.
Who steps up for the Steelers?
"I think we’ll go with some of the young guys that are inside," Austin told reporters earlier this week. "I mean, you have [Isaiah] Loudermilk, you’ve got [DeMarvin] Leal, you’ve got Carlos Davis, we have some other guys who have been working on the practice squad. We obviously signed another guy, Jonathan [Marshall]."
The Steelers clearly have quantity. The question -which could be answered as soon as this Sunday- is if there's quality. Over the last few weeks, the run defense has struggled.
If the Steelers are to win what should be a run-the-football-down-your-throat kind of game on both sides, the younger guys will have to show up.
Quarterback is king in the NFL and Kenny Pickett's absence is the most painful one on this weekend. Especially in a game in which both teams will rely almost exclusively on time of possession and not turning the ball over.
But how Pittsburgh responds to losing Wormley could be the biggest talking point come Monday morning. For better or worse.
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
