The Blitzburgh Report

Here’s a look at seven questions the Steelers have heading into Sunday’s game against Jacksonville:

How will Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulder injury affect his play?

Ben finally returned to practice on Friday after sitting out the two previous days. He has shown the ability to play with injuries in the past, though not always quite effectively. With such a big game, everyone is going to have to be in top form. Ben’s play has been the difference in a lot of close games this year so they really need him to be on point.

How badly will Aaron Smith be missed?

The injury to Aaron Smith has the potential to be a big one. The 3-4 defense all starts with the big men up front, and Aaron is one of the best in the league. Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason are OK in a pinch, but their potential to be long-term fill ins is very questionable. Injuries are part of life in the NFL and championship teams suck it up and get through them. The back ups are really going to have to step it up to fill Aaron’s shoes.

Can the defense get back on track after getting whooped last week?

The Jaguars aren’t an offensive juggernaut, but they have two very talented backs in Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Normally the Steelers don’t fear any running back, but they did give up their first 100 rusher in 35 games a few weeks ago. Not to mention, David Garrard is very accurate and has only thrown one interception in 10 starts this season…

What about Troy?

…Which leads to the next question- what impact will Troy Polamalu returning have on the defense? Those saying the secondary perhaps performs better without Troy in there where were shown they should be cautious saying that after what Tom Brady did to Anthony Smith and Tyrone Carter last week. In crunch time and in the playoffs, Troy’s athleticism and experience are going to be needed to help keep opposing offenses in check. Troy has struggled a bit this season, but now that he is healthier will he regain his form?

Is Willie back?

Last week Willie Parker rushed for over 100 yards, his first since week 10. He currently leads the league in rushing but has struggled a bit during the second half of the season. He finally had a couple of long runs against the Patriots and looked more like his old self. Can he carry the momentum against a tough Jaguars defense?

Has the offensive line finally gotten it’s stuff together?

The line looked terrible for much of the season, but has performed markedly better in the last three weeks. Are they finally coming together as a unit and defending the schemes that teams used to beat them? Or was it more of a coincidence with two of the games played in bad weather and teams focusing more on coverage then pressure? Either way, they’ve had a good streak going that they can use to build upon. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to not worry about the line this season (and the immediate future for that matter), but at least they have shown some progress.

Just how well is Santonio Holmes’ ankle holding up?

Santonio finally returned to action last week, but only saw limited time. He has mentioned that his ankle is still sore, but he doesn’t anticipate missing any more time this season because of it. If healthy, he will go a long way toward helping the Steelers get some big plays on the stingy Jag’s defense. He was turning into an exciting deep threat this season but his injuries have really slowed him down just when things were getting exciting. Will his ankle injury keep him down for the rest of the year?

This is a big game for the Steelers, with lots of playoff implications. In fact, given how close the teams are in the standings, you could argue that this game is more important than the Patriots game was (especially now since the Steelers lost that game and some of their lead in the AFC North.) It figures to be a physical and exciting game, and another one that might be played in poor weather with a chance for some snow. It should be a fun one.

Smith’s injury will likely have a huge impact on the defense

Mike Tomlin said in his press conference today that defensive end Aaron Smith has a torn biceps and is likely done for the rest of the season. In his words, “there is a strong possibility” that the injury requires surgery that would end Smith’s season.

This is a huge blow to the defense. The three big men up front are really the unsung heroes of the Steelers’ defense, and a pro bowl player like Smith not playing will probably have a ripple effect. Tomlin said that Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason will help fill in but they’re not great long term options; not that you can easily replaced a player like Smith anyway.

Injuries are a part of every football season, but the Steelers have been hit particularly hard. For starters, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Casey Hampton and Troy Polamalu have all missed significant time. But the three players done for the season have more impact then some may notice at first glance.

Smith is a pro bowl player, who as I said, is an integral part of the 3-4 defense. Ryan Clark is a consistent, reliable player who’s loss was especially felt last Sunday against the Patriots. Dan Kreider was injured just when many of us were clamoring for the Steelers to start using him again to help protect Ben and lead the way for Parker.

The injuries really add up and just when it seems like the team was starting to get guys back, they lose Smith. But as with any season, injuries happen and players have to step up. They’ve been very good at this in the past and if they hope to make it far this season, they will have to do it again.

(Update: It is now official, the Steelers have placed Aaron Smith on injured reserve. They also moved defensive end Ryan McBean (not to be confused with Steely McBeam) up from the practice squad to the 53 man roster.

The Steelers have signed former Brown defensive end Nick Eason. ESPN says that this is a typical move for the team:

The Steelers traditionally sign players such as Eason to an NFL minimum-salary contract — $510,000 for a player with Eason’s experience. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Eason would replace Rodney Bailey, who signed last week with the Arizona Cardinals.

Eason seems to be a body for training camp. He was a fourth round pick by the Browns in 2003 and was waived by the team the next year. He spent a brief stint with the Broncos’ practice squad before returning to the Browns. Over his career, Eason has 44 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble in 30 NFL games.