Elijah Riley, Isaiahh Loudermillk forced to take on bigger roles on Steelers defense
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Each was thought to have spent training camp on the active roster bubble. Each made the team with expectations to play a bit role for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
And by the end of the second game of the regular season, each was asked to play a significantly more visible role.
Isaiahh Loudermilk was part of the rotation on the defensive line throughout Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Browns, and Elijah Riley became the No. 3 safety during the second half of that win.
In part because of a groin injury suffered during Week 1 by Cameron Heyward, Loudermilk has played 45 defensive snaps already this season. It was Week 8 of last season before he’d hit that number of snaps. (However, Loudermilk was a Sunday inactive for each of the first five games.)
The only time he has played as many as 45 snaps over a two-game span was the final four games of his rookie 2021 season when he played 118 over Weeks 15-18.
“The more playing time that you get, the better you feel in terms of seeing things,” Loudermilk said. “And having a little bit more playing time this year so far than I had last year, I do feel like I have been getting into a rhythm and being able to see stuff a little bit faster.”
Riley played 10 snaps Monday, forced into action by the chest injury suffered by All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Riley was statistically involved in only one play. But that play was a significant one: a stop of Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson for a loss of 2 yards that was ruled a sack with 1 minute, 53 seconds left in regulation and the Browns near midfield.
I am biased but what a play by Elijah Riley. He’s on the far side of the 30 at the snap and closes in on a sack by the 50 yard line. Great read and reaction by the Long Island Native. He BELONGS! #HereWeGo #Steelers @ERiley011 ???????? pic.twitter.com/j6M3BBZfj1
— Steeler DELIVERY ???? (@SteelerDelivery) September 19, 2023
Riley began the snap deep in the right side of the secondary and probably ran 40 yards across and up the field to hit Watson. This, one snap after Riley blitzed and got to Watson. Riley did not finish the sack, however, but he did help force an incompletion.
Riley was a waiver claim late during last year’s training camp who spent most of 2022 on the Steelers practice squad but by the final three games of the season was in uniform for games.
“We got Elijah last year kind of on the run, and this year he had the whole offseason and the camp,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “I thought during the preseason, he made some nice plays. Sometimes you forget that because he goes into a backup role. Then, he got on the field, and he was still able to make those plays.”
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