On the Steelers: Defense might be backup plan for missing Le"Veon Bell

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The candidates to pick up the slack if LeVeon Bell goes missing from the Steelers lineup for their playoff game Saturday night at Heinz Field are various. Among them: Josh Harris, Dri Archer, Will Johnson.

Or, how about the Steelers defense?

That once-dominant area of football in Pittsburgh has reappeared even before its season of transition ended. They might need it to continue if the Steelers are to get past the Baltimore Ravens and deeper into the playoffs.

Just as the offense was and did for the most part carry the banner as its defense reorganized and took a step backward this season, a suddenly revived defense might be able to lend a hand in a time of need without their team MVP in Bell.

That defense helped deliver a second consecutive victory and AFC North Division championship Sunday night with its patchwork secondary providing all three turnovers in a 27-17 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. This came one week after the defense rose up to defeat Kansas City, 20-12, and has not given up more than 21 points in the month of December, in which the Steelers won four in a row.

The defense played huge all day, Ben Roethlisberger said Sunday night. We didnt do enough offensively, we didnt make enough plays and our defense bailed us out. It was fun to watch our defense play at a very high level and get turnovers.

That defense has nine sacks in the past two games and four turnovers, including the two interceptions by cornerback Brice McCain and the fumble Sunday by A.J. Green caused by cornerback Antwon Blake. McCain saved a score with his first interception and set up a score with his second. Blakes forced fumble late in the game prevented the Bengals from tying it or possibly taking the lead.

Those two were nowhere in the secondary plans as the season began but injuries and poor performances by others moved them up the ladder. McCain replaced Cortez Allen at cornerback and Blake moved into the nickle defense with the combination of Allens demotion and the injury to Ike Taylor.

We knew we could play, but we had a lot of good players in this secondary, McCain said of their low position on the depth chart early in the season. We were just waiting for our time.

The Steelers list both as 5 feet 9; with starter Willie Gay at 5-10, they might have the smallest front three cornerbacks in the league.

Now thats some bang for your buck, coach Mike Tomlin shouted at McCain Sunday night in the locker room, either referencing his height, the minimum-wage one-year contract he signed with the Steelers as a free agent or both.

But Tomlin is correct. McCain helped save their 17-9 victory in Jacksonville with a late pick-6 when the Steelers were leading by one. He and Gay tied for the team lead with three interceptions, the first time any of their defensive backs had as many as three since Troy Polamalus seven in 2010.

Brice has little-man syndrome, claimed 6-5 defensive end Cam Heyward. Hes very hard on himself. Blakes got it, too. I give him a hard time. Those guys really stepped up.

Guilty, McCain responded to Heywards charge.

I do. Im very hard on myself because I know whats at stake. I work hard every day because I am a smaller corner. So I got to be perfect every time. If I aint perfect, I have to be 90 percent if not 100.

I practice every day on what people say I cant do. They say I cant jump, say I cant play big receivers, Im going to work on my jumping ability. I can really jump so I wouldnt really worry about that.

The secondary has almost completely turned over since the start of the season. Only free safety Mike Mitchell remains. Former starters Ike Taylor and Polamalu have missed the past two games with injuries and there is doubt whether they will return to start even if healthy. Will Allen started the past two games for Polamalu at strong safety and four of the past seven games.

The secondary has come alive under the current personnel.

Weve taken our lumps and theyve remained singularly focused and theyve stayed together, Tomlin said of the new secondary. We havent allowed the adversity to divide us and weve gotten stronger because of it. Theyre playing with better confidence and theyre making plays.

Its just the natural maturation process when you dont let outside forces interrupt it and you stay singularly focused on growth and development and the opportunities at hand. I give them credit for doing that. I think their play and our play has been on the upswing because of it.

No update on Bell

The Steelers provided no update on the condition of Bells right knee. Tomlin revealed Sunday night that it was hyperextended and that structurally it appears to be fine so well see if h**l be available to us here in our next game.

Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/12/30/Ed-Bouchette-On-the-Steelers-Defense-might-be-backup-plan-for-missing-Le-Veon-Bell-against-Ravens-NFL/stories/201412300100