Injuries have hit the Pittsburgh Steelers hard this season, especially on the defensive side of the football.
Names like Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander, Keanu Neal, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick have missed time this season. All but Heyward remain out currently. That has decimated the Steelers from a depth perspective, forcing them to put new faces into the lineup on the fly, like safety Trenton Thompson, linebackers Mykal Walker and Blake Martinez, and likely names like Eric Rowe and Myles Jack this week.
Even veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson has had to moonlight in a different role, playing 30 snaps at safety in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts on the road after the Steelers lost safety Damontae Kazee and Fitzpatrick on back-to-back snaps due to an ejection and an injury.