Rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon hasn’t participated in practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers since suffering a knee injury in Week 12. But it sounds as though Harmon will be back on the field at practice this week.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t include Harmon among his list of injured players when he began his weekly Tuesday press conference on December 9.
That doesn’t mean the rookie is fully ready to go. However, Tomlin appeared to suggest the defensive lineman will participate in some capacity to begin preparation for the team’s Monday night affair against the Miami Dolphins.
“Harmon will be limited in the early portions of the week, and we’ll let the amount of participation and how quickly it picks up and the quality of that participation, as we go through the week, to determine whether or not he’s available,” Tomlin told reporters. “Certainly, excited about an additional day when it pertains to him.”
With the matchup versus the Dolphins set for Monday, Harmon, and the rest of the Steelers injured players, have more than an extra 24 hours to prepare for Week 15.
The Steelers could really use Harmon back in the lineup. The past two weeks without the first-round rookie, Pittsburgh has allowed at least 200 rushing yards to both the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens.
Steelers Run Defense Badly Needs Derrick Harmon Back
This is the second time this season Harmon has missed consecutive games because of a knee injury. The rookie suffered his first knee issue during the preseason, which sidelined him for the first two games of the campaign.
Harmon’s Week 12 injury was a new knee ailment.
When Harmon has played this season, the Steelers run defense hasn’t been elite, but it’s been serviceable. With the rookie on the field, the team has allowed 96 rushing yards per game in nine contests.
But in the four games where Harmon hasn’t played, the Steelers have yielded 191.25 rushing yards per contest.
Against the Bills, the Steelers allowed the most rushing yards (249) in a game played at Pittsburgh in more than 50 years. Then versus the Ravens, the Steelers yielded 217 rushing yards.
Since shutting down Jonathan Taylor, who leads the NFL in rushing this season, during Week 9, the Steelers have allowed 157 rushing yards per game.
While Harmon played in three of the team’s most recent five contests, it’s clear the Steelers are better against the run with Harmon. The team could use him back against the Dolphins, who are eighth in the NFL in rushing yards.
The Steelers defense has gone through a gauntlet of strong ground attacks recently. The past three weeks, Pittsburgh has faced the top three rushing offenses in terms of yards in the league.
Steelers Rule Out Calvin Anderson, Have 3 Players in Concussion Protocol
As is often typical, the Steelers are emerging from their physical battle with the Ravens a little beat up. Three Steelers players left Sunday’s victory in Baltimore with concussions — left tackle Andrus Peat, linebacker Malik Harrison and tight end Darnell Washington.
Tomlin told reporters Tuesday that all three are in the concussion protocol. That doesn’t bode well for their availability for Week 15. But the extra day of rest could help, and the Steelers haven’t ruled out any of those three players.
Tomlin did rule out offensive lineman Calvin Anderson on Tuesday. The offensive tackle missed Week 14 because of a knee injury.
Without Anderson and with Peat exiting Sunday, Dylan Cook made his NFL debut at left tackle against Baltimore. It’s possible Cook starts versus the Dolphins.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Steelers Get Derrick Harmon Injury Update Before Facing Another Potent Ground Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.