Ahead of the team's Week 9 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers are placing two defensive players on injured reserve, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Safety Deshon Elliott and defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale will both be out for at least four games, which is the minimum required for players placed on IR.
According to reports, the Steelers fear that Elliott's injury may be season-ending. This could be a reason why the team traded for Patriots safety Kyle Dugger just days ago, as Elliott's injury leaves a massive hole in the back end of the Pittsburgh defense that has already not been great this season, giving up 25 points per game. The former Raven, Lion, and Dolphin has been one of the key defenders this year for the black and gold with 38 tackles, one pass defense, and an interception. Dugger will slot in immediately to Elliott's role, it appears.
Daniel Ekuale isn't as big a loss as Elliott, but the former Patriot was still a key rotational player on the interior defensive line for Pittsburgh. Ekuale has six tackles through seven games played, along with one QB hit.
Should Steelers be worried about their recent stretch?
Steelers fans have reason to worry about the team's recent stretch of play. Pittsburgh is 0-2 since starting the season 4-1, giving up 33 points to the Cincinnati Bengals and 35 to the Green Bay Packers. The losses of Elliott and Ekuale will only hurt this, but the addition of Dugger will, of course, help.
To make matters worse, the Baltimore Ravens have won their last two games against the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. Lamar Jackson has returned after missing the last three games, and the Ravens have played their best football of the season of late. One thing is for sure: the Steelers have a tough matchup this week with the NFL-best 7-1 Colts coming to town looking to keep their best record in the league.
