Pittsburgh Steelers: Stephon Tuitt out, Bud Dupree expected to play in Week 2

According to Jeremy Fowler, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be without one defensive stars in their Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Stephon Tuitt was a long shot from playing in Week 2 after injuring his bicep early in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. While his status remains week-to-week, he isn’t expected to be on the field against the Vikings.

Tyson Alualu will make the start for Tuitt. Not a terrible downgrade considering Alualu has been a defensive contributor and starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars since being drafted. His pass rush may not be at the standard of Tuitt, but he’ll be able to hold his own and provide backside pressure on Sam Bradford.

On the other end, the Steelers received some good news on outside linebacker, Bud Dupree. After missing Week 1, Dupree is expected to be a full participant against the Vikings in the Steelers’ home opener.

This is good news for Pittsburgh’s pass rush. Dupree has his sights on Defensive Player of the Year this season, and with his season debut being in Heinz Field, he could start his campaign on a strong note.

The Minnesota offense is a much tougher challenge for Pittsburgh than Cleveland was, but as long as they can supply some pressure to Sam Bradford, they could gain the upper hand early. Maybe they aren’t looking at another seven sack performance, but getting to the Vikings’ backfield a few times could be the deciding factor.

Next: Steelers vs Vikings Live Stream

For the first time this season, Steelers fans will witness T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree coming off the ends. If they meet expectations, this could be the start of one of the most dominating young edge rushes in the NFL.

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