5 Steelers who need to step up in Ben Roethlisberger’s absence

4. David DeCastro

Coming off of an All-Pro season, the expectations for DeCastro and his 2016-17 campaign were at an all-time high. For the most part, DeCastro has been everything the Steelers have wanted. However, in the Steelers’ two losses this season, DeCastro has been beaten a times, and his two worst showings of the season came in losses.

DeCastro was lined up on Fletcher Cox in Week 3 against the Eagles, and Cox won the majority of their battles. In Week 5, it was Ndamukong Suh on the other side of DeCastro and it was a similar result.

While those two interior defensive linemen are two of the best in the NFL, that’s the degree of player against which DeCastro must prove himself. He is expected to shut down the best, and is expected to help carry an offensive line deemed one of the strongest in the NFL.

In the Steelers next two games, they see the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. While the names Malcolm Brown and Brandon Williams do not ring in the same way as Cox and Suh, these two are maulers in the middle for their respective teams. Both are young players on the rise, and any slip up by DeCastro will give these two chances to make a name for themselves.
The Steelers will need an elite performance from their elite lineman if they want to survive this injury.