PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their Week 13 matchup needing a win. After the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, it gave the Steelers a slight lead in the AFC North once again. A win would extend the lead to a full game and put them in a strong position as division leaders again.
The Steelers’ challenge was already daunting, facing the Buffalo Bills and their MVP quarterback, Josh Allen, in Week 13. The challenge became more difficult as the Steelers lost one of their key defenders in the second quarter.
During the Bills’ offensive drive, middle linebacker Patrick Queen fell down and had to be helped off the field with a lower body injury. When he got hurt it seemed like a regular game. After a dashing effort by the Bills, Queen limped for a few steps before lying on the ground.
After being cared for by team medical personnel, he was able to walk off the field under his own power and enter the medical blue tent for further evaluation. Steelers senior communications director Burt Lauten shared via social media that Quinn suffered a hip injury and is doubtful to return. In his place was veteran Malik Harrison at middle linebacker.
defensive communication is affected
The bigger problem for the Steelers without Queen on the field is team communication. The star linebacker wears the green dot on defense, meaning he receives play calls from the sideline and relays them to his teammates. Without him, the team would normally rely on DeShon Elliott at safety, but he has been out since Week 8 with a knee injury.
This means the defense has to find a way to make adjustments before the snap without their play-caller.
run game effect
In addition to affecting their communication, the Steelers must also find a way to replace Queens’ impact in the run game. The Bills are one of the best running back teams in the NFL, led by stellar running back James Cook. In the first half of their contest, the Bills were easily gaining yards on the ground.
Now, without Queen, the Steelers’ already weak run defense is even more vulnerable. While Harrison is a serviceable backup and special teams player. He and Peyton Wilson are not an ideal run-stuffing duo at the middle linebacker position.
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