YinzPitt

The Pittsburgh Steelers revealed today that they had placed defensive end Aaron Smith on the Injured Reserve.  He is expected to be out the rest the season with a shoulder injury.  Yes folks, this is one of the worst possible scenarios for the Pittsburgh Steelers and us fans.  Aaron Smith, pretty much can’t be replaced.  Think back to the Steeler 2007 season when he had the bi-ceps injury and how much of a nightmare it was trying to find a replacement for his side of the line.

Without a doubt, Aaron Smith is one of the best, if not the best, defensive ends for a 3-4 scheme.  While Aaron Smith is out, rookie Ziggy Hood, Travis Kirschke and Nick Eason will try their best at holding down that side of the line.  It’s basically sink or swim time for Hood, who has probably had to cram as much as he could in learning this defensive system that is more intricate than most.

I hope Hood turns some heads.  His name rocks and I thought he was a beast in college.  The Steelers are second in the NFL in rushing defense (71.2 yards per game), so here’s hoping that the back-ups kick some butt and keep the defense rolling!

On a brighter note, fellow twitter follower @SteelCtyCrusade, and their site Steel City Crusade has a contest running to win two tickets to the January Steeler game in Miami.  It costs $20 bucks to buy a ticket, so if that’s a worthy investment(better than gambling it away at the casino), head over there and enter to win!