Steelers Remain Aggressive In Pursuit Of Secondary Answers With Eric Rowe Workout

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been called lucky a lot leading up to a showdown against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11. On Sunday, the Steelers will face Dorian Thompson-Robinson in Cleveland instead of Deshaun Watson. The injuries to Lamar Jackson’s favorite receiver, tight end Mark Andrews, and the Cincinnati Bengals franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, on Thursday Night Football have only increased the vitriol towards the Steelers. The Steelers are still underdogs in Cleveland on Sunday. 

The narrative conveniently forgets that the Steelers have been decimated by injury on both sides of the ball since Week 1. Diontae Johson, Pat Freiermuth and Cameron Heyward have spent time on Injured Reserve. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander fell to season-ending injuries, and Minkah Fitzpatrick will miss his third consecutive game. Any perceived horseshoe that people believe is lodged in the collective black-and-gold anatomy must have a healthy supply of bandages attached to it.

On Friday, the Steelers auditioned an intriguing name to bolster their wounded secondary. Eric Rowe, the former second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles and, who most recently played for the Miami Dolphins, was brought in by Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin to see if the eight-year veteran could be a viable option to replace Fitzpatrick or Keanu Neal temporarily. Rowe has started 56 games in the NFL and has five career interceptions, including a pick-six against Tom Brady in his final year with the New England Patriots.

Rowe has played for the Eagles, Dolphins, and the Patriots during his eight seasons in the NFL. He won two Super Bowls with the Patriots in Super Bowl LI and LIII. Rowe signed with the Carolina Panthers during the 2023 offseason, but failed to make the 53-man roster. He was signed to the practice squad, but was released on September 19th by the Panthers. 

Pittsburgh hopes to get Fitzpatrick back when they visit Cincinnati in Week 12. There was some hope that he would play against the Browns in Week 11, but he could not find his way back onto the field. Neal's injury has forced Trenton Thompson onto the field on Sunday, and the Steelers' depth at safety is paper thin, so a veteran like Rowe could make sense to solidify the position heading into December.

The Steelers embrace the next-man-up policy wholeheartedly under Tomlin. Pittsburgh has lost six key starters for considerable amounts of time in 2023. It is virtually impossible to replace a top-five quarterback like Burrow. It was a monumental task for the Steelers to overcome injuries to get to 6-3. A fact that many on social media have pointed out. 

Steelers' Heyward Claps Back Hard On Media Narrative

Despite the NFL's best efforts, football is still a brutal game. Steeler Nation is starting to show that the lucky, phony, and fraudulent label is wearing thin. The national media, led by ESPN's Mike Greenberg's coining of the word "Tomlining," has embraced the narrative that the Steelers are awful. It isn't true, and Heyward spoke for fans and players on Friday when he told reporters precisely what the fan base thinks of the narrative. 

Kenny Pickett is 2-0 against the Browns, and the Steelers have dominated the meetings between the two teams this century. Top that off with all the talk that they are a talentless collection of stiffs that only win because of Tomlin, and the Steelers may have the emotional recipe for a critical victory on Sunday. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Could adding Rowe be a solid depth piece for an angry, wounded defense? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

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