The Pittsburgh Steelers got the win against the Chargers but still suffered a loss. Defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt will miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle.
The Steelers saw possibly their best player of 2019 go down Sunday night when Stephon Tuitt left the game injured. Once I heard it was a pectoral injury, I immediately feared the worst.
That fear was confirmed with the Steelers placing Stephon Tuitt on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. This is devastating to the defense losing Tuitt, and it is devastating to him after such a great start to the season.
Tuitt had already registered 22 tackles, 3.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and seven QB hits. He was having a dominant start to the season and seemed to be staying healthy until the unfortunate injury.
Tuitt has had trouble staying healthy in the past and has only finished one season playing all 16 games. That season was his rookie year in which he only started four games.
Since becoming the every game starter at defensive end, Tuitt has missed 10 games over four seasons and will now miss the final 10 in 2019. This brings his five-season total to 20 games missed.
The Steelers have done a good job getting quality depth out their defensive linemen, and that will surely be tested over the next 10 games. The Steelers brought in Karl Dunbar in 2018, and he has gotten the best out of guys like Tuitt and Dan McCullers.
If the Steelers want to continue their solid defensive performance, they will need production from their depth. There are three players on the roster now who can help provide that the rest of the year.
Javon Hargrave
The Steelers took Javon Hargrave in the 2016 draft at 89th overall in the third round. This pick excited me a lot after seeing what Hargrave did in college.
Hargrave went to small South Carolina State, but he did what he was supposed to against his competition. He racked up 37 sacks and 63 tackles for loss in college and dominated every offensive lineman who tried to lock him down.
Hargrave burst on the scene immediately, starting 13 games at nose tackle for the Steelers in 2016. He has been the starter ever since and played in all 16 games the last two seasons.
Now, with Stephon Tuitt’s injury, Hargrave will see even more playing time. He will now likely be thrust into the starting sub package end in Tuitt’s place in addition to his nose tackle duties in base defense.
The Steelers saw what Hargrave could do last year as a pass rusher when he tallied 6.5 sacks playing in just 43.6 percent of the Steelers total team defensive snaps. That is an excellent number, especially from an interior defender.
Hargrave has some extra motivation to show out as he is in a contract year. He will either show the Steelers he is worth an investment from them, something I think he has already done enough of, or he will play himself into a nice payday elsewhere.
Either outcome helps the Steelers in 2019. Hargrave will be the highest producing replacement for Tuitt simply due to his subpackage versatility.
Tyson Alualu
Alualu is a former first-round pick that never quite panned out to his hype in Jacksonville. He wasn’t a star there, but he did tally 17.5 sacks and 259 total tackles for the Jaguars.
His signing to Pittsburgh was strictly for quality depth, and he has provided that in his time there. Now in his third season as a Steelers player, he has tallied 73 tackles and five sacks as a depth player.
As with any team, depth eventually will be tested. The injury to Tuitt will bring Alualu into the fold much more than he has been this season.
This is nothing new to Alualu as he started 88 games in Jacksonville. He has also filled in for injury in Pittsburgh, starting five games in 2017 and two in 2018.
He will likely take over at defensive end in the base sets with Hargrave at his usual nose tackle spot. He will heed sub package reps to Hargrave in nickel and dime sets, but he will also get more reps there than before the Tuitt injury.
Alualu is still a productive player at 32 years old, and that is just what the Steelers need at this time. He will move up the pecking order and get a chance to show he still has some first-round juice left.
Isaiah Buggs
The Steelers took Buggs in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar had a hand in getting Pittsburgh to take a shot on him, and he made the most of it by making the Steelers 53-man roster.
Buggs was part of an Alabama defense that saw five players selected in the draft, including stud top-five pick Quinnen Williams. Being on the same defensive line as Williams really cast a shadow over Buggs.
Playing alongside Williams also had its perks, and Buggs took advantage tallying 52 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss (2nd on the team), and 9.5 sacks (led the team). Buggs likely suffered in the draft due to most attributing his numbers to Williams, taking most of the offensive line’s attention.
Now, in the NFL, Buggs may get an opportunity to produce, even if in a limited capacity. He has been inactive every week of his NFL career, but that may change after the Tuitt injury.
Buggs has a shot to be active in his first NFL game in week eight. The Steelers did sign L.T. Walton on Tuesday after moving Tuitt to injured reserve, but Buggs has the advantage of having played in the preseason and practicing every week.
Walton has a member of the Steelers since being drafted in 2015 but was released this season. He has not played in ten months, so Buggs should get the helmet at the very least in week eight out of the bye week.
Pittsburgh has a tall task ahead in filling Stephon Tuitt’s shoes, but they have the depth and talent to do it by committee. Hargrave, Alualu, Buggs, and even Walton, once he gets back in shape, should be able to contribute enough to help ease the loss, even if it takes all four to fill the shoes of one man.