Steelers likely to have All-Pro defender back in Week 13

The Steelers are set to get some massive reinforcements back this week as a key piece on their defense is eyeing a return.

Three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has missed the past four games after suffering a groin injury in Week 8, is on track to play in Pittsburgh’s Week 13 matchup against the Cardinals (2-10).

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday that the ” light is on” for Fitzpatrick this week and then he was seen at practice on Wednesday.

The return of Fitzpatrick would be a huge one for the Steelers defense, which is quietly allowing the fifth-least points per game (16.5) in the league.

The three-time Pro Bowler will only make the defense more stout as he has been a turnover machine, totaling 20 takeaways (17 interceptions, three forced fumbles) since he joined Pittsburgh in 2019.

If Fitzpatrick does make his return to the starting lineup, it will be the first time fans will be able to watch him, DT Cameron Heyward and linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith all playing together since Week 1. The big four have played just two series together all season, according to Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh.

The injury update may be news to some, but Fitzpatrick’s teammate, safety Damontae Kazee, tried to tell everyone following Pittsburgh’s Week 12 win.

“Shoot, we know Minkah comes back this week,” Kazee said. “A lot of us ain’t gonna be playing in those spots.”

In Fitzpatrick’s absence, the Steelers had to shuffle around several players in their secondary to make up for his loss.

So his return not only makes things a little bit easier for everyone else but sets Pittsburgh up for a dominant day as Arizona is averaging the eighth-least points per game (17.2).

Steelers: Kenny Pickett’s honest assessment of offense after Matt Canada firing

After Matt Canada got fired Steelers QB Kenny Pickett is happy with the offense ahead of Week 13 but says it still needs improvement.

Immediately following Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada being fired, the team broke a stunning 58-game drought of not putting up 400 yards or more of total offense in a game. The Steelers got a 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals with this performance on Sunday, but quarterback Kenny Pickett says there is still a lot of room for improvement ahead of Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.

After the Bengals win, Pickett said on Wednesday that he “definitely liked our performance” in Week 12, per Pro Football Talk. However, he also admits that “yards are great, but points win you games.”

Kenny Pickett threw for 278 yards after Matt Canada was fired and he and the Steelers running backs combined for another 153 yards on the ground to finish with 421 yards.

The last time the Steelers went over 400 yards of offense was in a 2020 Wild Card loss to the Cleveland Browns when Ben Roethlisberger and company put up 552 yards (and Big Ben had 501 passing yards himself in that game). The last time it happened in the regular season was in Week 2 of 2020 when they had 410 against the Denver Broncos.

As the Steelers get ready for Week 13 against the Cardinals, Pickett also did hint that the success, at least in terms of yardage, may have come from Canada not being there.

“It’s game planning, the coverage, having the right call at the right time, getting them into those coverages and the shots we want to take versus the looks we’re seeing. We had them, which is great,” Pickett said. “It all works together. The protection was great, guys were getting open, I was making the throws. I want to continue having that great prep. It all happens during the week.”