Kyle Dugger hasn’t been with the Pittsburgh Steelers for very long, but he didn’t look out of place in his first game with them. While the Steelers only traded for Dugger less than a week ago, he played nearly the entire game Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. The veteran safety was on the field for 77 of a possible 78 plays, and the Steelers’ defense had arguably its best performance of the season yet.
Mike Tomlin gave Dugger a game ball after the Steelers’ 27-20 win. He gave a proverbial one to those who helped him get acclimated to the Steelers’ defense so quickly.
“I think it had everything to do with my coaches and my teammate making things, the terminology as far as like what I used to play and matching it up and marrying it up for me and simplifying it in meetings,” Dugger said after the Steelers improved to 5-3 via the team’s YouTube channel. “And then, communicating on the field in practice.
“Every rep counted and just put in a ton of work. Talking to them every play made it simple for me.”
The Steelers’ secondary was really shorthanded going into Week 9. DeShon Elliott was placed on injured reserve last week, which was already a big blow. Then, Jabrill Peppers and Chuck Clark, the two most likely replacements for Elliott, were also ruled out for the game on Saturday.
That left Dugger and Juan Thornhill as the Steelers’ only true safeties. The team moved Jalen Ramsey to safety this game, shaking up its secondary even more. With its defense already dealing with communication issues, this week looked like a recipe for disaster for Pittsburgh.
However, the defense proved a lot of its doubters wrong. It recorded five sacks, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles, with two recoveries. Dugger ended the game with four total tackles. While that isn’t an eye-popping stat line, it’s impressive that he was able to hop on a moving train and not miss a beat. That’s why Tomlin awarded him a game ball following the Steelers’ victory.
The Steelers’ defensive coaching staff has gotten a lot of flak recently. While that criticism was deserved, it’s also important to praise the staff for having Dugger ready to play. When the Steelers’ safety room is healthier, we’ll see how much of a role Dugger plays. So far, so good for his time in Pittsburgh, though. Hopefully, he continues to help the Steelers’ defense put together performances like this one.
