Steelers Weakest Link for Week 3 against the Chicago Bears
Does anyone remember the game show “Weakest Link” where after the conclusion of each round, the show’s host would eliminate one of the contestants by saying “you are the weakest link, goodbye!”
Well, I was thinking about that show recently and it occurred to me that bringing up the Steelers biggest weakness each week would be a good idea for a new feature. So it’s now time for the Steelers Weakest Link, and if you know me, I try to be as fair as humanly possible in my criticism. This column still won’t be a rant or hot take, rather, an objective look at an area where Pittsburgh could use improvement, or could literally be weakened, heading into the next game.
This week’s Weakest Link is the Steelers tight end group.
I know that may seem like an odd choice, but for me, it’s an obvious one. People would like to see the run game get going or see the defense be more dominant, but those are constant concerns… and not ones I really have facing the Bears.
The reason I chose the tight ends is due to injuries and inexperience. In the offseason, the Steelers tried to shore up the position by bringing in a number of college free agents, and none of them stuck. Veteran TE David Johnson, a solid blocker, was let go in favor of Xavier Grimble and the team sought out a trade with San Francisco for Vance McDonald.
McDonald sat out last week’s game with a back injury, and though Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated every player would have an opportunity to play this weekend, he also duly noted that Vance’s back was an issue which “flared up”.
I read that as “something that could happen at any time” and I’m trying to not read much more into it. I.e. Ladarius Green syndrome (as in not playing often).
I wouldn’t have as many concerns if starting TE Jesse James were 100%, but he too is dealing with a sore ankle this week and is limited in practice. While Vance hasn’t shown up on the injury report just yet, he’s also new to Todd Haley’s offense with no training camp to prep for the regular season. If he plays, this will be his second game with the team, and a handful of preseason snaps if you want to toss those in too.
McDonald is also more of a slot receiver type than a blocker. Regardless, you can’t count on him to know every nuance of the playbook or have a rapport with his teammates at this point in the season. That will come with time, which means the offense may have to rely on the only guy still left on the depth chart, which is Grimble.
Xavier Grimble was all the rage coming out of last year’s training camp, but he looked like he was on the hot seat during the preseason, where he dropped passes and missed blocking assignments. Jesse James isn’t known as the best blocker either, and when you combine that with the rest of the positional group, you can now get a feeler for why this could be a weak link this weekend.
The Steelers offensive line was and still is banged up from last Sunday, where Alejandro Villanueva didn’t have the strongest of games and RT Marcus Gilbert didn’t practice on Wednesday with a hurt hamstring. Those are both of the team’s edge protectors, who are used in conjunction with one or more of the tight ends to help seal off that path to sack QB Ben Roethlisberger.
Whoever ends up playing tight end on Sunday may have to line up next to a reserve tackle, and possibly two reserve tackles, depending on how things go. The Bears have a solid front seven, headlined by Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks.
It’s imperative they help run and pass block, but the trio of James, McDonald, and Grimble also need to convert in the passing game as well. McDonald and Grimble both have a reputation for dropped passes. Roethlisberger may need to rely on them to move the chains and help the team improve their first down conversion percentage, which currently currently languishes at 18th in the league despite being touted as a high-powered offense.
Therefore, let’s keep an eye on the tight end group this week and hope they are healthy and ready to go… and not the weakest link on Sunday! Goodbye!
