Pittsburgh Steelers keeping Marcus Gilbert as starter
By Wes Goldberg
After signing Marcus Gilbert to a five-year, $26.2 million contract in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expecting much more from their right tackle than giving up four sacks through the first two games of the season.
However, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com, Gilbert is not in danger of losing his starting job.
"“I’m not concerned about Marcus and his ability to rebound,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “I expect him to come back fighting like Rocky.”“If you play 60-plus snaps and you give up two sacks, it’s a bad game,” Tomlin said. “That’s the nature of our business, and I’m sure as a tackle that’s a challenge [Gilbert] embraces.”"
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil walked all over Gilbert in the Ravens’ 26-6 win over the Steelers on Thursday night, recording two sacks against him.
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Gilbert, a former second-round draft pick and four-year veteran, played well in preseason and his starting job was never in question until Thursday night’s debacle, in which the 6-foot-6, 315 pound lineman was knocked over by the 5-11 Dumervil. Gilbert will need to show Tomlin and the Steelers that those first two games will not be the norm, and do his part in keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright.
As a whole, Pittsburgh’s offense isn’t struggling moving the ball but they are failing to put it in the end zone. The Steelers rank seventh in the NFL with 804 total yards, but have scored just 36 points through the first two weeks. Since going up 27-3 over the Cleveland Browns at half time in Week 1, the Steelers have scored just nine points in six quarters.
Obviously, that doesn’t all fall on Gilbert, but if Pittsburgh’s offense continues to struggle changes will be made.
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