The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense took some brutal injuries after the Dallas Cowboys game Sunday night. With Alex Highsmith already out with a groin injury, Nick Herbig stepped up by putting pressure on Dak Prescott and splitting a sack with TJ Watt. Towards the end of the game, Herbig went down with an injury and limped to the locker room, not coming back into the game. Things only got worse when DeMarvin Leal also went down with an injury. On the depth chart, that only left Watt and Jeremiah Moon as the only healthy outside linebackers.
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Alex Highsmith and TJ Watt celebrate a turnover against the Baltimore Ravens.
In Head Coach Mike Tomlin's press conference on Tuesday, he was asked about guys shifting to the edge. More specifically, Isaiahh Loudermilk.
"Moving forward, he's just a versatile guy. He [Loudermilk] and Leal are defensive linemen that are participants in special teams. Both guys are on kickoff and I think that speaks to their unique skill sets and allows him to position flexibility to slide outside and give us some big man presence when lines get short, certainly."
Loudermilk has played in 47 games since joining the Steelers in 2021 and has 33 solo tackles. Although he's a defensive tackle officially and third on the depth chart, Loudermilk has a chance to be the next man up and slide over to the edge as the Steelers deal with injuries that have no certain timetable. Loudermilk made a big play Sunday night against the Cowboys on special teams when he blocked Brandon Aubrey's 38-yard field goal attempt late in the second quarter. Loudermilk had another blocked field goal back in 2022 against the Indianapolis Colts.
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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman, Isaiahh Loudermilk (92) during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
The Steelers play the Las Vegas Raiders away Sunday. The Raiders have allowed the fifth most sacks in the league with 17 total. The team is also contemplating if Gardner Minshew or Aidan O' Connell will start at quarterback against the Steelers, but both haven't been great to start the season. This will give Loudermilk a golden opportunity to go against an offensive line who has allowed a lot of sacks through five weeks. Watt will need help as he's been getting chip blocked and double teamed most games and as great as he is, other players need to step up when others go down.
Steelers' Defense Has To Reduce Big Plays
Although the Steelers' loss Sunday wasn't entirely on the defense, there were still major third down plays given up that could've given the offense another shot to score. The defense did step up with three turnovers and Elandon Roberts almost sealed the game with a huge hit on Rico Dowdle that made him fumble the ball on the goal line. The Steelers are still one of the top defenses in the league, but there were plays when receivers would be left wide open. DeShon Elliott allowed two touchdowns Sunday night and rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. was getting beat by receivers all night.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert makes a touchdown catch as Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott tries to stop him to win the game.
The Steelers will have a chance to end their two-game losing streak Sunday against the Raiders. With injuries plaguing the team, it'll be interesting to see who shows up.
How do you think Loudermilk will do on the edge? Let us know in the comments below!
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