The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker room looks a lot different in 2023. The unit underperformed in 2022, so the front office felt the need to make some changes there. Amongst the shuffling, the team let Robert Spillane walk in free agency after four seasons in Pittsburgh. It was a mild surprise given the fact that he had become a favorite of the Steelers' coaching staff over the years.
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Across four seasons in Pittsburgh, former Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane started 16 games and became a coach's favorite.
The Las Vegas Raiders eventually signed him to a two-year, $9 million deal, which officially marked the end of his era in Pittsburgh. The Steelers not only lost a key component of their defense, but he became a critical veteran presence in the locker room. This slightly effected betting odds throughout the AFC, which you can bet at Sweden betting sites if you care to wager. When speaking to reporters on Friday however, via Vegas Sports Today, Spillane made it known that he was looking forward to facing his former squad.
"They're downright and physical. Coach [Mike] Tomlin used to say that's AFC North football, so I'm bringing a little AFC North football out to the west and return some in their favor," Spillane said on Friday ahead of the Week 3 matchup. "There's some preparation, trying to help out my teammates understand who these guys are a little better."
This isn't the first (or last) time that the Steelers have faced one of their former defenders in 2023. To start the season, they faced defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. This time around, the Steelers travel on the road for the first time this year. The Raiders currently sit as 2.5-point favorites for the Sunday Night Football tilt.
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Despite the Steelers' interest in a reunion with defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, he proved to be too costly as the 49ers signed him to a massive long-term deal.
Spillane has actually enjoyed a solid start to the 2023 campaign. Through two games, each of which he has started, he has 21 combined tackles. Pro Football Focus grades him out quite nicely as well, as his 69.0 overall grade ranks 34th out of 72 qualifying off-ball linebackers. He is rated just slightly above the Steelers' new trio of linebackers, whom have performed decently thus far.
Do The Steelers Miss Spillane In Middle Of Defense?
Spillane will play a huge role in Sunday's game, as he's been on the field for all 142 (!!) of the Raiders' defensive snaps this season. He's been nearly elite in pass coverage, as he ranks 16th amongst linebackers in that department. It will be interesting to see if quarterback Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense targets Spillane in the middle of the field. That's normally an area that tight end Pat Freiermuth occupies, but he's yet to get heavily involved in 2023.
In two games, he's caught just two of his five targets for a total of five receiving yards. While he did sneak into the endzone in Week 1 against the 49ers, his impact has been limited. In his first two career seasons, he had a combined 123 catches and 1,229 yards. Perhaps we will see a little bit of Spillane on Freiermuth in Week 3 and if so, the Steelers should still feel confident in that matchup.
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The Steelers may look to involve tight end Pat Freiermuth more in Week 3, as he has just two catches through the first two games of the 2023 season.
It seemed to be a mutual parting between Spillane and the Steelers this offseason, and it may end up working out for both sides. Thus far, the likes of Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander have done just fine in the middle of Pittsburgh's defense. We are still just two games into the 2023 season, and as we know, things can change quickly.
How do you think the Steelers' new linebacking core has looked through two weeks? Does the unit miss a presence like Spillane, specifically in the locker room? What are your expectations for the Week 3 matchup against the Raiders? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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