The injuries are piling up as if the Steelers are playing in Charming, California. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced Tuesday FS and team’s leading tackler Ryan Clark will not play Sunday in Denver as a result of a blood disorder that nearly cost Clark his life the last time he played there.
The ailment was aggravated in the high altitude of Denver, and he ended up losing his spleen and gall bladder in 2007. He did not play when Pittsburgh traveled there in 2009.
Questions have been flying around about what the Steelers would do in the event of a road playoff game against the Broncos. Tomlin said it was “an easy decision,” and Ryan Mundy would replace him.
Mundy has filled in at both safety positions this season, most notably, in the absence of SS Troy Polamalu. While Clark typically plays more of the strong safety position in Polamalu’s absence, Mundy stepped in with nine tackles in a tough defensive game.
RB Rashard Mendenhall was officially placed on injured-reserve Tuesday, and the Steelers signed veteran CB Anthony Madison to take his place. Madison was on last year’s AFC Championship team, but wasn’t re-signed this off-season. He signed with Detroit, but was released, re-signed and released again by the end of November. He’s spent the vast majority of his six-year career with the Steelers.
The decision to sign a defensive back instead of a running back suggests RB Mewelde Moore will be ready to play Sunday, and will likely be the second RB behind Isaac Redman.
It also suggests the injuries to CB Keenan Lewis (hamstring) and Cortez Allen (shoulder) could be problematic. Denver is not a strong passing team, and Pittsburgh likely will be able to contain Denver’s feast-or-famine passing attack.
Source: Behind the Steel Curtain
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