Robert Spillane
Spillane was the “next man up” after Bush exited with the knee injury and took all of the remaining snaps at linebacker. Many people had not heard of him or known much about him but he was quick to introduce himself to the Cleveland Browns and the fans inside Heinz Field.
Spillane was all around the football after he stepped in and finished with 6 tackles (5 solo, 1 assisted) and 1 tackle for loss on a big hit on Austin Hooper on a tight end screen that he blew up. He went from relative unknown to a guy Steelers fans started to like immediately.
He did not shy away from the opportunity and met ball carriers with pain and punishment on his mind. Overall, he proved more than capable as a tackler but, the question is, can he provide the coverage from inside the Steelers need in this defense?
Spillane is a below-average athlete who is not as fast or as quick as Bush. However, Spillane is a fluid runner with little wasted movement in his backpedal and technique.
He had the belief from his teammates and coaches that he could do the job and he did just that. He may have earned himself the first crack at being the starter for the remainder of the season.