The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team that has dealt with a myriad of injuries this season. Fortunately for them, it seems like the bye week will hit them at the perfect time. The Steelers have a division game next week and at the halfway point of the season could see a much healthier squad come out thanks to the week of rest. The Steelers are still one game up in the loss column in the division, and to even get some of these names active and improved for a week nine game would be huge.
Pittsburgh Steelers Bye Week Comes at Perfect Time
Ben Roethlisberger
Roethlisberger is most likely out for week nine but it seems crazy to count him out any longer. Big Ben has already played through just about anything, and while the Steelers do tend to rest a banged up Roethlisberger against a physical Ravens team, he knows how important that game is. The last reports have said that it is a four to six week injury for Roethlisberger, but it is also said to be based on pain tolerance. Knowing Roethlisberger, that should be closer to three weeks than six. To only miss two games on a three-week injury would be very nice for the Steelers thanks to the bye.
Cameron Heyward
Heyward seems likely to come back sooner than later from a hamstring injury. The early reports were that this injury was a two to three-week thing. The bye week would be his third straight week without playing due to the injury. Heyward also sees himself as a locker room leader, and in a similar fashion to Roethlisberger will put up with pain tolerance to get back quicker. The Steelers run defense has been gashed without Heyward, but in week nine and moving forward it could see major improvements.
Bud Dupree
A week eight bye gives Bud Dupree one more week to recover from a preseason injury. Dupree was put on injured reserve, but by all indications he is set to return from that list. Dupree may be able to begin to practice this week, and like Roethlisberger could be targeting a debut for week ten. The pass rush of the Steelers has seemingly been worse than the run defense so to add a first round pick back from injury could pay off for the home stretch.
Marcus Gilbert
Gilbert has missed the past three weeks with an ankle injury. The Ravens are supposed to get Terrelle Suggs back for their week nine game against the Steelers, and Gilbert should be there in uniform across from him. Gilbert seems even more likely than any of the above players to come back and may even be able to get in two full weeks of practice time beforehand thanks to the bye.
Ladarius Green
The Steelers will look to get a big playmaker back for their week nine bout with the Ravens as well. Green returned to practice this week from an ankle injury that had sidelined him up until this point. Green was the big free agent acquisition this season, and if he and Roethlisberger can find a chemistry into the back half of the schedule this offense could really start clicking at the right time.
Sammie Coates
Sammie Coates has participated in the last two games but has been more of a decoy than a weapon. Coates has a broken finger and in the past two games Cobi Hamilton and Darrius Heyward-Bey have put in more snaps. Having two full weeks without testing his finger and letting it rest and heal is big for a wide receiver. He should remain active past the bye, but may finally get his role back in the offense moving forward.
Markus Wheaton
Lost in all of the injuries is the fact that Wheaton has been active for just three games this year and has been targeted nine times. Players such as Coates and Hamilton have stepped up, but that does take away from the splash play ability and skill that Wheaton does bring to the table. Wheaton felt good about potentially coming back before the bye, and with the two added weeks may just be another added threat.
DeAngelo Williams
Williams may have the most pessimistic outlook moving forward. After carrying the load earlier in the season he was slowly phased out and in his last two games had four carries on 19 snaps. The Steelers signed Karlos Williams to a practice squad deal in the meantime, and Williams was inactive in week seven. With a bye, it may be a time to try to find Karlos Williams a role if Williams get not quite get back to full strength.
Antonio Brown
Brown suffered a minor quad injury against the Patriots but it did have him shifting in and out of the game. However, with two weeks off, and knowing the training and attention that Brown pays to his body, this is just another perfect example of why this bye came at a great time. Brown will not miss any time.
Ryan Shazier
Ryan Shazier was the lone bright spot that actually returned from injury before the bye. Shazier played about half of the team’s snaps but he felt like he could have put in a full game’s work. Still, with the injury past of Shazier, it was smart to ease him back in, give him the bye week to make sure that everything is in order, and then unleash him for the back half of the schedule.
Seeing all these names on the injury report and out for multiple games is a scary sight. However, none of these appear to be season ending, and almost every player should be back within two weeks of the bye week. It brings optimism for what this team can be in the second half of the season.
Main Photo:
