CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Pittsburgh Steelers defense that is playing its best game of the season is running short on linebackers at Bank of America Stadium.
Rookie inside linebacker Ryan Shazier left the Sunday night game against the Carolina Panthers early in the third quarter with a knee injury and he will not return. Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones is out with a wrist injury and was also ruled out to return.
If those hits weren't enough for the Steelers' defense to absorb veteran cornerback Ike Taylor left the game with just under 10 minutes left in the third quarter with a right forearm injury, and it looks serious.
Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons slammed into Taylor's arm while the two were trying to make a tackle just after the Steelers had taken a 15-3 lead. A handful of Taylor's teammates knelt on the field in prayer as medical personnel tended to Taylor, and he eventually walked off the field holding his right forearm.
Shazier, who led the Steelers with three first-half tackles, limped off the field early in the third quarter, and the first-round draft pick had trouble putting weight on his right leg. Jones left the game after making the biggest play of the night.
The 2013 first-round pick hurt his wrist while running Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and causing a fumble that Jason Worilds recovered at Carolina's 17-yard line.
Four plays later Ben Roethlisberger threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown to give the Steelers' a 15-3 lead.
The Steelers increased their lead to 23-6 after Le'Veon Bell's 81-yard run set up a second 7-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Brown.
ESPN Pittsburgh Steelers reporter
Posted by Unknown on Sunday, September 21, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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