CB Haden to practice, but status still not clear
One of the Steelers’ primary objectives since the end of the 2016 season was to improve their ability to play more man coverage in the secondary, something that became painfully apparent after they were dissected by Tom Brady in the AFC championship.
And one of the steps they took to fulfill that objective was signing two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden after he was released by the Cleveland Browns.
The Steelers are getting ready to face the New England Patriots again Sunday, and there is a small possibility Haden could be ready to return after missing the past four games with a broken fibula.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Haden, 29, will return to practice in some form this week, and his availability for the showdown with the Patriots will be determined by how he reacts and performs in practice.
Tomlin said Haden’s practice time will be determined by “how much he does, what he does and the quality of it.”
“I don’t know what getting back on the horse will look like,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference on the South Side. “I don’t know what his availability will look like.”
Complicating matters is Haden’s backup, Coty Sensabaugh, injured his shoulder in the comeback victory Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens. Tomlin only said Sensabaugh’s availability will determined later in the week.
Haden, who never went to the postseason in seven seasons with the Browns, was standing in the locker room after the 39-38 victory against the Baltimore Ravens, wearing an “AFC North Champions” hat and T-shirt.
“One of the most rewarding images from what I saw in the locker room was Joe Haden in his AFC North champions hat and T-short,” Tomlin said.
Shazier put on IR
The Steelers placed linebacker Ryan Shazier, who remains hospitalized with a spinal cord injury, on injured reserve, officially ending his season.
“Unfortunately Ryan will not be able to contribute on the field during the remainderof this season,” team president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “However, even off the field, Ryan will continue to be one of our team leaders. We know his spirit and positive outlook will help him to continue in his recovery, as well as serve as an inspirationto our team.”
Shazier, who was injured making a tackle in a Dec. 4 game in Cincinnati, had spinal stabilization surgery Dec. 6 at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. The surgery was performed by UPMC neurosurgeons and Steelers team physicians Drs. David Okonkwo and Joseph Maroon.
Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt went to the hospital to visit Shazier Tuesday to give him his “AFC North Champions” hat and T-shirt.
“He’s doing great; I loved the smile on his face,” Tuitt said on his weekly radio show on 102.5 WDVE. “He’s responding to the situation he is in and that’s the only thing you can do. It’s awesome he has so much support.”
Tomlin said the task of trying to replace Shazier is going to take time. The Steelers were without Shazier’s backup, Tyler Matakevich, against the Ravens, forcing them to use a three-man rotation that wasn’t very successful
Sean Spence, who was signed earlier in the week, started against the Ravens and played 34 snaps, or 53 percent of the time. Arthur Moats, an outside linebacker, moved inside for 19 plays and L.J. Fort played eight snaps. The Steelers allowed the most points all season (38) and yielded a 100yard rusher (Alex Collins, 120) for the first time in their eight-game winning streak.
Tomlin said he had no update on Matakevich’s availability for the Patriots.
“It’s not a one-week thing; it’s a multi-week phase, finding that balance and distribution of the many jobs [Shazier] has done for us,” Tomlin said. “We better be better than we were Sunday night. We can’t give up big plays like we did in that game to beat Tom Brady and New England. It’s just not happening.”
Tomlin said it is unlikely one player will be able to replace Shazier and everything he does in the defense.
“Shay is a special guy with a lot of talent,” he said. “It’s just not a realistic discussion to talk about one guy replacing him, just like one guy replacing any one of our significant components.”