DB Wallace itching for interception
Injury to Witherspoon could mean more time on the field for veteran
It’s been three games so far this season with no interceptions for Levi Wallace, an eternity for the veteran cornerback in his first year with the Steelers.
“I’ve got to take the ball away,” Wallace said Wednesday in the locker room before practice. “I had an opportunity last week, made a good play, but I’m due for a pick any minute. Excited to get back on the field this week.”
Wallace, who had an interception Week 2 last year and Week 3 in 2020 for the Bills, is itching to get his hands on the ball. He’ll likely have more chances Sunday against the Jets with starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon held out of practice Wednesday with the hamstring injury that forced him to leave early against the Browns.
Witherspoon and Cam Sutton have been the nominal starting outside cornerbacks, with Wallace rotating in when the Steelers go with their nickel sub-package for passing situations. But Wallace’s busiest game thus far has been playing 87% of the snaps Week 2 against New England, in between a 33% snap share Week 1 in Cincinnati and just 36% of the snaps Thursday night in a game Witherspoon exited late in the third quarter.
“That’s up to the coaches,” Wallace said of having a larger role this week. “Wherever they need me to be at, that’s where I’ll be at. I want to go out there and make plays.”
His pass breakup of a Jacoby Brissett target for Amari Cooper on the first drive last week was one he wished he could’ve picked off. Wallace started finding the ball more late in his second year with Buffalo, and starting with Week 15 of the 2019 season — a 17-10 road win against Devlin Hodges and the Steelers — he’d tallied seven interceptions in 37 games going into this offseason when he signed with the Steelers.
One of his two interceptions in the 2021 regular season was against the Jets, although it was backup quarterback Mike White who served it up to him, not Zach Wilson — whom the Steelers are likely to see Sunday after he was cleared by team doctors to make his 2022 debut. Wilson hasn’t played since a torn meniscus Aug. 12 in the preseason but practiced fully Wednesday.
“I’m excited to play them again,” Wallace said. “New year, there’s tape on them. They got No. 17, who’s a great player, [Garrett] Wilson. He’s a dynamic player for them, so the offense changed a little bit. We’ve got to see how they play us.”
Don’t sound the alarm
Mike Tomlin’s Tuesday news conference was cause
for concern when he announced free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was in concussion protocol, starting left guard Kevin Dotson was dealing with an ankle injury and punter Pressley Harvin III complained of hip soreness following the Browns game. Tomlin likely disclosed those ailments in case any or all players missed practice time this week, but as it turned out, all seem to be minor.
Fitzpatrick, Dotson and Harvin all were listed as full participants on the Wednesday injury report. The Steelers brought back veteran punter Jordan Berry to the practice squad in case Harvin isn’t healthy enough to punt Sunday.
Jets- wise, inside linebacker Quincy Williams (ankle) did not practice, while defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers (toe) and cornerback Brandin Echols (hamstring) were limited.
Alualu’s motivation
It was hardly a necessary move to make for the Steelers, but Tomlin thought it prudent Tuesday to update his depth chart with Montravius Adams replacing Tyson Alualu as the No. 1 nose tackle.
The Steelers rotate so often on defense and play with three down linemen so infrequently no one would’ve known had Tomlin decided Adams was outplaying Alualu. But, clearly, he wanted to send the message that Alualu — at 35, the team’s oldest player — isn’t playing up to the standard. And, apparently, message received.
“I understand this business,” Alualu said Wednesday. “That’s just fuel to the fire of wanting to be the best version of myself. I know, if I work on that, I’ll be the best I can be for my team.”
Johnson input
Diontae Johnson has been the Steelers’ No. 1 wideout for a couple seasons now, so he’s willing to give feedback to the coaches, and they’re willing to receive it. At least, that’s how he feels when it comes to expanding his route tree, which, to this point, has been mostly down the sideline, given he’s an outside receiver.
“I’m just doing what I’m told to do, just going out there and getting open,” Johnson said. “I do have a say-so in certain [things], like if I want to move around or ask to move around and whatnot. If I feel like I can be in certain positions on the field or run certain routes, then, yeah, they can put me in that position. I’m just kind of letting them do what they do, go along with the game plan, and if I see something that I don’t like, I’ll obviously say something about it so they can make a correction or try to get me in a better position. ... It’s just having that confidence that they’re going to come up with a good game plan, then executing.”
The last time Johnson had fewer than five targets in a game was Week 5 last season against Denver. So far this year, 31% of Mitch Trubisky’s targets have gone Johnson’s way.