Playing time tracker for Steelers vs. Vikings (Week 2)
The anatomy of the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday didn’t have too much of a new look. There were a few players who had dings and dents, such as Stephon Tuitt and Vance McDonald, who didn’t suit up for the game. Others left due to the brutal afternoon sun which can be a killer on black jerseys throughout August and September. (I know this too from experience.)
However, there weren’t too many surprises on Sunday when it comes to winners and losers for playing time.
Well, unless you were expecting an outside linebacker rotation, that is. Two Steelers, in particular, were standing on the sideline for most or all of the game: Arthur Moats and James Harrison.
Moats saw two reps the entire game, while James Harrison didn’t enter at all. In two games, the Steelers all-time sacks leader has only been on the field for four defensive plays. Returning this week, Bud Dupree played almost the entire game. T.J. Watt was set to never leave the field as well until a reported groin injury saw him gingerly exit the game. Anthony Chickillo was his replacement, playing 2/3 of the snaps.
Stephon Tuitt, who was ruled out of the game with a biceps injury, was replaced mainly by Tyson Alualu (82%) with L.T. Walton entering the game about 30% of the time and Javon Hargrave playing roughly 35%. Cam Heyward was in the most, but also rotated, showing a commitment for a second week in a row of keeping the big guys fresh.
The iron men on defense were the secondary players (Burns, Haden, Davis, and Mitchell) along with Ryan Shazier, who all played nearly the entire game. Tyler Matakevich and Robert Golden each entered the game with a single play.
On offense, we saw more of JuJu Smith-Schuster (51% versus 42% last week) and a little less of Eli Rogers (50% even split compared with 65% last week).
You may have blinked and missed James Conner, who only entered the game four times and had a lone carry. Terrell Watson and Darrius Heyward-Bey also stepped on the field a single time on Sunday.
The iron men on offense were once again the Killer B’s, with Ben, Bell, and Brown playing over 90% of the game. Martavis Bryant played over 2/3 of the offensive plays, while most of the offensive linemen remained in for the duration, though Alejandro Villanueva and Marcus Gilbert each left the game for heat-related fatigue and were replaced by Chris Hubbard (55% of the reps).
Overall there were no real losers when it came to playing time on Sunday. Everyone you would expect to play, did. Some may feel James Harrison has been slighted, but with the heat and humidity factoring in with his age, it’s still a wise decision to leave the sports car in the garage until it’s time to burn rubber, so to speak. I would assume Harrison is gradually eased into pass rush situations by Week 4’s game against Baltimore.
Otherwise, expect similar splits across the board, with Tuitt and McDonald also factoring in once they return from injury.
