4 reasons Vince Williams’ absence will lead to a loss for Steelers

Who else is at ILB for the Steelers?

Everyone should be thanking Kevin Colbert, as the trade for Avery Williamson will likely pay dividends this week. This doesn’t mean he is a perfect replacement by any means, but he is an established veteran who the team can at least expect to be serviceable. Behind him though is the issue, as the Steelers are now razor-thin at the position. As well, this means safety turned linebacker Marcus Allen will likely see a lot more playing time.

While Allen hasn’t looked horrible on the field, the problem has been the fact the Steelers have only played him on eight percent of the defensive snaps. He has been more of a special teamer than a true defensive player so far, and while he could light it up, odds are he will struggle. It doesn’t help that the Steelers will be facing Josh Allen, a quarterback that can beat you through the air and on the ground.

Though there are certainly questions at the top of the depth chart, there are even more behind them. Currently, on the roster, the only other potential inside linebacker is Jayrone Elliott. That said, he is a special teamer first, an outside linebacker next, and as a last resort, he could play more on the inside. That said, it wouldn’t be ideal.

Finally, the Steelers still have Tegray Scales on the practice squad but considering he has never played an actual NFL snap outside of the preseason, fans shouldn’t be too hopeful. Honestly, don’t be surprised to see Antoine Brooks shift down into the box more. He has the size and skills to do it, but even then, he is still inexperienced. Altogether, this unit should cause a lot of concerns for fans, as there is little certainty anywhere in this linebacking group.