Pittsburgh’s Hedging With A Key Depth Piece On Each Side Of the Ball
Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
After a tumultuous preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers have their 53-man roster and are hoping to put fans at ease with some football that actually counts. While it’s debatable how difficult of a task that will be, the preseason finale may have given us a reason to believe. The Steelers’ finale in Detroit reminded me of a particularly profound quote from the Adam Sandler masterpiece, “Billy Madison.”
It comes after the character played by the GOAT Steve Buscemi — whom Billy made amends with earlier in the film — saves Billy’s life. Billy simply says, “Man, I’m glad I called that guy.” I’m sure Mike Tomlin felt the same way as Cordarrelle Patterson galloped into the endzone after making a Le’veon Bell-like cut to juke the last defender in his path.
.@ceeflashpee84 runs it in for 6 🔥
📺: #PITvsDET on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/pngBQS5Fbz— NFL (@NFL) August 24, 2024
Throughout the preseason, the national media focused on the quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh. The local media has drooled over Brandon Aiyuk and expressed concerns about the wide receiver room. And of course, the offensive line has been the biggest concern among the fanbase in recent weeks. All of this makes sense.
Superstar players are the foundation of any great sports franchise. From Messi to Lebron to Sidney Crosby, the best players set the identity of their team. It’s no secret that the Steelers plan to lean on their stars — the dynamic pass-rushing tandem of T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward — as well as young and hungry running backs this season. That being said, their depth pieces and role players will be crucial to their success.
Mike Tomlin has historically liked to collect veteran depth pieces. This tendency is a big part of why his Steelers have remained competitive for nearly two decades. Players like Tyson Alualu, Larry Ogunjobi, and Myles Jack come to mind when thinking about key role players that Tomlin brought in later in their careers.
Still, Tomlin has his share of misses, as well. The addition of Patrick Peterson was highly anticipated last offseason, but his performance earned him an exit from the Steel City after one season. Melvin Ingram refused to accept a depth role and opted to head for greener pastures midseason. When Cordarrelle Patterson’s name landed on the Steelers’ roster this offseason, many believed he would simply be a Patrick Peterson type whose age would render him ineffective.
The 33-year-old running back came to Pittsburgh shortly after Arthur Smith’s arrival. While Patterson has long been the league’s premier kick returner, there wasn’t much stir over an aging running back joining an already stout position group. Then Jaylen Warren pulled a hamstring. If Warren misses Week 1 (which feels more plausible after seeing Patterson performing well and at full capacity), Najee Harris will be the bell cow. But Harris will still need support, and that’s why Tomlin should be glad he called that guy in the No. 84 jersey.
Patterson is an insurance policy that the Steelers need to have, especially with how much Arthur Smith likes to run the ball. The veteran should not only help keep the running game afloat, but a solid performance will allow Warren to fully recover before returning.
On the defensive side of the ball, Nick Herbig is another guy Tomlin has to be glad that Pittsburgh called back at the 2023 Draft. The second-year linebacker out of Wisconsin is far from a household name, currently sitting third on the depth chart, with the All-Pro Watt in front of him. But on Saturday, he showed why Steelers fans should be grateful to have depth at such a critical position.
Herbig had six pass-rushing snaps in Detroit, but he got to the quarterback twice and generated pressure on a third play. It’s preseason, yes, that’s one hell of a success rate. It should give confidence to Tomlin and Company that they can maybe rest the 30-year-old Watt on an extra few plays, or that they can handle it if their star edge rusher has to miss a week or two.
While those who support the Black and Gold pray, burn sage, and bury statues in their backyards in order to prevent Watt, Harris, or Pittsburgh’s other star players from getting injured, someone will likely miss some time. It’s an unfortunate facet of the game. But since Tomlin is so good at hedging his bets, the Steelers have created a machine that can course, even if they find themselves missing a key cog.
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