While the loss of Stephon Tuitt for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense is significant, the reality is that the team has already experienced the biggest hit that they can possibly take this year, as they only got six quarters of play out of franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Losing a quality defensive end in comparison gets quite neutered when you take it all in perspective.
That’s not to diminish what it means to no longer have Tuitt’s abilities for the remainder of the season; however, the nature of the defensive line, in contrast to the quarterback, is that, not only does it consist of multiple performers, but even within that relationship is a rotation of depth behind the starters.