3 questions surrounding the Steelers entering the bye week

2. When will Stephon Tuitt return from Injured Reserve

While the Steelers stepped up in a big way in Overtime against the Seahawks thanks to T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, it’s impossible to ignore their struggles against the run in the third and fourth quarters.

When facing an injury-riddled Seattle Seahawks offense, one would expect the vaunted Steelers defense to step up in a big way. However, they gave up 20 points to an offense led by Geno Smith and Alex Collins and needed to go to Overtime to secure a victory.

It was the run game where the Steelers got exposed, as Alex Collins turned 20 carries into 101 yards and a touchdown, most of which came in the second half. The defensive line is missing Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu, and their absence was felt this week.

While there is some depth on the unit, the defensive line is down two of its three starters, forcing their depth players, such as Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs, Henry Mondeaux, and Isaiahh Loudermilk to play much more snaps.

With Alualu out for the year, the Steelers really need Tuitt back on the defensive line, as it will help stop the run and provide more firepower in the pass rush. If Tuitt’s return is not imminent, it may not be a bad idea for the Steelers to look into bringing in a free agent to help the run defense. Players such as Trent Murphy, Olivier Vernon, Geno Atkins, Kawann Short, and Damon Harrison present some options who are still free agents if the team were to bring in some help.