Coming off a physical win over the Ravens, the Steelers suffered injury attrition that includes three players currently in the concussion protocol and two defensive starters with lower leg injuries.
First-round rookie Derrick Harmon missed the last two games with a knee injury, but Mike Tomlin is hopeful the defensive tackle can return to play against another elite running back on Monday night when the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins.
"Derrick Harmon will be limited at 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," said Tomlin. "Certainly excited about additional day as it pertains to him."
Having faced the two rushing leaders already this season, the Steelers expect to face the No. 3 rushing leader in De'Von Achane. And it will help if the Steelers have Harmon in the lineup.
The rookie tackle has missed four games due to two different injuries. In those four games – including the last two against the Bills and Ravens – the Steelers allowed an average of 191 rushing yards to their opponents.
In the nine games Harmon has played – including five starts – the Steelers allowed an average of 96 rushing yards, a near 100-yard difference.
"That's why you draft first-rounders," Tomlin said of Harmon. "He's really talented."
After the playoff loss to the Ravens last season, the Steelers' offseason plan was to become more physical, in particular along the defensive interior. The Steelers drafted two players to compete for a job next to Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton, and both Harmon and fifth-round pick Yahya Black have seen significant action.
While the 36-year-old Heyward – whom Tomlin on Tuesday dubbed "an outlier" – leads the group with 667 snaps and 57 tackles, Benton leads the group with 4.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in his 602 snaps.
Lining up next to Benton and Heyward, particularly since early injuries to veterans Dean Lowry, Isaiahh Loudermilk, and Daniel Ekuale, have been the rookies.
In 331 snaps, Harmon has 22 tackles with four quarterback hits and 2 sacks.
In 334 snaps, Black has 23 tackles with two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a quarterback hit.
While filling in for Harmon the last two games, Black made 12 tackles, only one fewer than Heyward.
"Yahya is a guy that's just gotten better throughout the process," Tomlin said. "As I often say, one man's misfortune is another man's opportunity ... and so Yahya has been a guy that's really taken advantage of the opportunities, not only in terms of his play but just the general growth associated with gaining in-helmet snap experience.
"So, I think it's reasonable to expect him to continue to get better. He brings a good attitude. He is getting better from a production standpoint, and I just think last Sunday was a reflection of that."
The Steelers will need both rookies to play like veterans Monday against the Dolphins and Achane. The third-year running back is third in the NFL, behind Jonathan Taylor and James Cook, with 1,126 rushing yards. Achane leads the NFL with a 5.8-yard average per carry. He's also caught 55 passes for 303 yards.
Last week, the Dolphins won their fourth consecutive game by rushing for 239 yards against the Jets.
During their win streak, the Dolphins averaged 192 rushing yards per game, and Achane has been the bell cow. He left in the second quarter last week with a rib injury after falling on the ball while being tackled. To that point, Achane had 92 yards on 7 carries.
His status this week "looks good," according to Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.
"Can't say enough about Achane and their running game and how they've been playing behind that over the course of the last month or so," said Tomlin. "They've really anchored down and established a personality there. The offensive line is running off the ball."
