Veteran safety DeShon Elliott didn’t travel with the Pittsburgh Steelers to Cincinnati on Wednesday. On the team’s official injury report, the Steelers called Elliott questionable because of a personal matter.
But Elliott arrived in Cincinnati on Thursday. An hour and a half before the game, the Steelers didn’t include the safety on their inactive list for Week 7.
The Steelers will face the Cincinnati Bengals in a pivotal AFC North showdown on Thursday Night Football. For the matchup, the Steelers have made wide receiver Calvin Austin III, guard Andrus Peat, defensive lineman Logan Lee and defensive end DeMarvin Leal inactive.
Elliott dressing shouldn’t come as a major surprise. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday afternoon that Elliott arrived in Cincinnati and was expected to play.
Elliott has started three of Pittsburgh’s previous five games this season. In the two games he didn’t start, Elliott didn’t play because of a knee injury.
The safety has posted 24 combined tackles, including one tackle for loss with two quarterback hits this season. He also has one forced fumble, one interception and one sack.
DeShon Elliott Will Play Against Bengals on Thursday Night
The other reason why Elliott playing shouldn’t come as a surprise is a late move the Steelers made Thursday. Hours ahead of the game, the team switched Elliott’s status on the injury report from questionable to no designation.
Elliott is the only Steelers player who didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice but is playing in Week 7. Austin and safety Miles Killebrew also didn’t practice, but they were already officially out for Thursday’s contest.
The Steelers placed Killebrew on injured reserve Thursday afternoon.
Elliott, though, didn’t miss a thorough practice session, as the Steelers held just a walk-through Wednesday.
With Elliott in the lineup, the Steelers will have their full arsenal of defensive backs. Elliott and Joey Porter Jr. dealt with injuries in September. The Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday was the first game where Elliott and Porter finished the contest healthy along with veteran defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay.
That secondary will face veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco on Thursday. Flacco will be making his second start for the Bengals. Cincinnati acquired him from the Browns just nine days ago.
Edge Rusher Trey Hendrickson Out for Bengals in Week 7
The Steelers caught a break with Elliott being able to rejoin the team in time to play. They also won’t have to face Cincinnati’s best defender Thursday.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday afternoon defensive end Trey Hendrickson wouldn’t play in Week 7 because of a back ailment. The Bengals confirmed that report, including Hendrickson on their inactive list.
Cincinnati has Hendrickson, along with five other players, inactive for Thursday’s contest.
The Steelers still have young offensive tackles. But they are coming off a game where they did an incredible job minimizing All-Pro Myles Garrett. So, they should be feeling pretty good about themselves entering Thursday.
Without Hendrickson, it could be much harder for the Bengals to generate a pass rush. Hendrickson has recorded four of Cincinnati’s 11 sacks this season.
If the Steelers can defeat the Bengals, they will increase their already decent lead in the AFC North race. There’s still plenty of football remaining. But with a win, the Steelers will have a four-game lead in the loss column over all three of their division rivals.
However, if the Bengals are victorious, Pittsburgh’s lead in the division will shrink to two games in the loss column.
The Bengals won the last matchup in the rivalry during Week 18 last season. But the Steelers have captured three straight victories in Cincinnati.
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