The Pittsburgh Steelers offense wasn’t exactly perfect against the Indianapolis Colts, but they took advantage of the turnovers generated by the defense and found a sense of efficiency to pick up their fifth win.
As has been the case in many games this season, the Steelers found offensive success in their jumbo packages, which feature oversized tight end Darnell Washington and backup guard Spencer Anderson as massive blockers, and sometimes pass catchers.
Unfortunately, when Isaac Seumalo is out of the lineup, a chunk of the playbook vanishes when Anderson steps in for him at left guard. Seumalo left the game against the Green Bay Packers last week with a pectoral injury, and he did so again this week against Indianapolis.
Pittsburgh Steelers' playbook shrinks without Isaac Seumalo facing another injury setback
Seaumalo was ruled out of the Colts game in the fourth quarter, standing on the sidelines without his helmet. His staying on the sideline in uniform and in good spirits is at least a good sign that his injury hasn’t been worsened, but leaving for the second straight week is still something Steelers fans will want to keep an eye on.
Last week, Seumalo didn’t practice until Friday, and then he was limited. Pittsburgh could be looking at a similar situation next week as they prepare for a road trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers on Sunday Night Football.
On the bright side, clearly the Steelers’ offense can implement its jumbo packages effectively even with Anderson practicing primarily at guard. The downside is that if Seumalo isn’t able to suit up, then Pittsburgh loses one of its favorite and most effective portions of the offensive playbook.
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As for Seumalo, having a soft-tissue injury, especially a pec injury as a trench player, can be tricky. It’s one thing for the issue to linger from week to week, but if it ever worsens to a degree that he might miss multiple weeks, then the Steelers' offense suffers on multiple fronts. And that’s without acknowledging that he’s the only starter on the Steelers' offensive line with more than three seasons of playing experience.
Seumalo likely won’t practice a lot in the coming week, and if the injury hasn’t worsened, then he should be able to suit up against the Chargers all the same. We’ll continue to monitor his status as more information becomes available.