Your Team's Unheralded Watch-Out Players

[DBR96A 87]

On offense, I think people are overestimating the significance of Maurkice Pouncey's absence for the Steelers in the next several weeks. Why? Because Cody Wallace is a solid backup. People forget that he started four games at C for the Steelers in 2013 after Maurkice Pouncey and Fernando Velasco were both lost to season-ending injuries, and he played pretty well. The Steelers had a 3-1 record in those games, averaging 29.0 points per game, and Ben Roethlisberger was sacked only six times. I think the Steelers will be fine with Wallace at C, especially since Pouncey's injury occurred in the pre-season, giving the Steelers an opportunity to adjust before the games start to count.

 

On defense, I'm damning the torpedoes and saying that Jarvis Jones will make an impact. Last season, he played two-and-a-half games before suffering a wrist injury severe enough to require surgery, with the possibility that it'll never heal quite right to boot. In those two-and-a-half games, he had seven tackles, seven assists, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble. At that pace, a full 16-game season would have given him 45 tackles, 45 assists, 13 sacks and six forced fumbles, which are good numbers for any OLB. Quite frankly, I don't care that he was a non-factor post-injury, because he wasn't healthy enough to play until the last four games of the season, and there's no way he could have kept his strength if he wasn't able to lift weights while his wrist healed. So far this pre-season, he has five tackles and 1.0 sack in limited action, which is solid. Steeler fans need to lay off him, as far as I'm concerned.

[BenGone 35]

Oh yeah, Brian Cushing is back, says he is the best he has felt since 2012. His mojo in practice is evident - his coverage and leadership are just like old times.

While not technically an unheralded player, he is more of a forgotten one. If he even gets to 95% of his 2011 - 12 form, this will be a very good D.

That's how I feel about Sean Lee and Mo Claiborne (not like MC was great or anything). People talk about the success of the D last year, but forget both of those guys were out all or most of the season. Having them back is an automatic improvement.