The Steelers go into tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers without four players, including starting left guard Isaac Seumalo.
Seumalo was ruled out on Friday with a pectoral injury that has impacted him the last two weeks. While he played in the Steelers Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts, he is inactive tonight.
With Seumalo out, it will be Spencer Anderson who will step in at guard.
“I’m ready when my number’s called,” said Anderson. “I’ve equated it to preseason. Isaac was not practicing, and I’m running with the first team. And then in preseason games, he’s not dressing, and I go out there (and start) and then do what I do and then come out.
“It’s kind of always the same way in what you do, be it the first group or the second group. It has always been just preparing for the opportunity.”
In addition to Seumalo, receiver Scotty Miller, linebacker Cole Holcomb and safety Jabrill Peppers are also inactive. All three didn’t practice all week. Miller is missing his third straight game with a finger injury, while Holcomb (illness) and Peppers (quadricep) are missing their second straight games.
A combination of injuries has impacted the safety position, and for a second straight week Jalen Ramsey will start at free safety, while Kyle Dugger will start at strong safety.
Through the first half of the season, Ramsey played cornerback, moving around in the defense, but a steady force there.
Now, with injuries at the safety position, including losing DeShon Elliott for the season, he has made the move to free safety.
It’s not an easy move, even though he has done it before, but if anyone can handle it, it’s Ramsey.
“I’m able to communicate well with the guys,” said Ramsey. “I am able to tackle, cover, just being versatile.
“It’s definitely new, for sure. Before last week, the last time I played safety for a full game was my freshman year in college. So, however many years ago that was, 13 or something like that. So, it’s been a while.
“It’s definitely not like riding a bike. Tough, but fun. I love football. All pieces of it I enjoy and try to embrace. I guess you could say it brings a renewed energy for me because playing corner for 10 years, you kind of learn the game and it kind of becomes same old, same old, same old every day. Not saying that I wasn’t learning or wasn’t trying to continue to grow that role. At safety, now I’m in the meetings and things. I’m learning new things to look at, different ways to look at the game from the safety’s point of view. But it’s been cool.”
Dugger has also been impressive in what he has done, stepping in last week against the Colts to start after being acquired by the Steelers from the New England Patriots just days earlier.
Now, with a full week working together, Ramsey is excited about the potential.
“Extremely difficult. Super impressed by what he did,” said Ramsey of Dugger stepping in the way he did. “I’ve been enjoying being out there on the field with him, communicating and getting familiar with each other’s game and how we play and how they play off of each other.
“But I’m super impressed with what he did because I know from experience that is not easy being traded middle of the week, getting somewhere practicing for Thursday, Friday, walk through Saturday and then you have a game, that’s extremely tough.
“He did super well, he was in the right positions, he communicated well when it was time for him to communicate.”
The full list of inactives is below.
