Steelers will be without Smith against Ravens
PITTSBURGH – Those working for the township in which Tommy Maddox lives were certainly dismayed by this news flash: Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Marvel Smith won’t play today against the Baltimore Ravens and will be replaced by rookie Trai Essex, who’ll take his first NFL snaps as Maddox’s blind-side blocker.
Ugh. It could be a busy Monday for those trash collectors.
The Steelers head into today’s 1 p.m. road game with their least mobile quarterback under center and a rookie left tackle whose selection in the third round of last April’s draft surprised aficionados who had Essex rated as a second-day prospect, if that.
The last time Smith was injured, he missed 10 games and the Steelers finished 6-10 in 2003. And it doesn’t appear as if the organization has fortified the position.
Last April, they reached for Essex because he could play four positions, including left tackle, and they re-signed journeyman Barrett Brooks after being turned down by Stockar McDougle and Adrian Klemm.
Brooks has been active ahead of Essex all season, but hasn’t impressed the coaching staff enough to start ahead of the rookie this afternoon.
It would appear as if the Steelers are in a bit of a jam for this important division game; however, one bright spot for the Steelers is the return of Willie Parker, who’ll provide enough speed in the backfield to prevent Maddox’s turnovers from becoming touchdowns – at least in theory.
But back to Essex.
“I feel like I’m definitely getting better as a football player,” he said. “Going against the No. 1 defense in the NFL (in practice) has really helped me develop as an offensive lineman.”
Kimo von Oelhoffen told Essex that he helped make him a better defensive end. Others aren’t so sure.
“They could play now,” an offensive assistant said last week of rookie linemen Essex and Chris Kemoeatu. “They’d make a hundred M.E.s (mental errors) but they could play now.”
“A hundred?” Essex said when the comment was relayed to him. “We might not get that many plays in. But I think the coaches have enough faith in me to go out there, especially with the situation at quarterback now. I’m sure left tackle is a pretty important position considering the quarterback position is so iffy.”
Oh, be very sure, Trai.
Not only is keeping Maddox upright an important step to winning the game, it’s an important step to winning the AFC North Division and, in the long run, earning one of two first-round playoff byes. That’s why this game is more important than next Monday’s game against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.
The Steelers are 3-0 in division games and most likely need to sweep the six division games in order to challenge for a bye. However, the Steelers barely beat the Ravens in the first meeting this year, 20-19. It may have been the Ravens’ best game of the season.
“I think a lot of it was because we don’t like each other,” explained Steelers nose tackle Chris Hoke. “Number one was the rivalry thing. They came out fired up. I think they knew their season was on the line at that point. The other point, they believed they could turn their season around, get back on the right note and get it rolling again. If they’d won that game on Monday night against the Steelers, they could’ve turned their season around.”
But, the Ravens didn’t, and since that game on Halloween night they’ve lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 21-9, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-2. The Ravens are 2-7 with their season hopelessly beyond repair. The motivation for their game in Pittsburgh shouldn’t work at this point.
“I’m not going to say that because they’re still playing us,” Hoke said. “They don’t like us and we’re playing in their house and they don’t want to lose in their house against us. That was the last loss we had on the road, so I think they’re going to hang their hat on that.”
Won’t the Steelers?
“No question,” Hoke said. “The last time we went there we laid an egg. We didn’t play real well.”
“We expect even more effort,” said Steelers linebacker James Farrior. “They felt like they should’ve beaten us last time, so you know they’re going to come back even stronger this time.”
Farrior won’t play this time. He’ll miss his second consecutive game with a knee injury. Ben Roethlisberger, of course, will also miss his second consecutive game with a knee injury. And then there’s Smith, the Most Valuable Left Tackle, who, after playing in pain this season with his bothersome shoulder, is hobbled with a sprained ankle.
It adds up to a red-alert game for fans and trash collectors alike.