Bud Dupree’s torn ACL is major blow to Steelers’ chances vs. Chiefs

The loss of star linebacker Bud Dupree for the rest of the season is a massive blow for the Pittsburgh Steelers looking ahead to the postseason. 

Despite getting a scare from Robert Griffin III and the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain the only undefeated team in the NFL, sporting a perfect 11-0 record. However, Wednesday’s victory didn’t come without a big cost.

Shortly after the final whistle, it was revealed that standout linebacker Bud Dupree had suffered a torn ACL. Just like that, his 2020 season has come to an end. While Pittsburgh is playing at an unreal level right now, the Kansas City Chiefs are still out there looking like the favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champs. Should the two eventually meet in the playoffs, not having Dupree could prove to be the difference for Pittsburgh not coming out on top.

Bud Dupree suffering his torn ACL could have a monster impact on the Steelers making it to the Super Bowl

With everyone dreaming of a Steelers-Chiefs AFC Championship Game showdown, not having Dupree out on the field would be simply awful. With the Chiefs offense basically unstoppable, the only way to really slow Patrick Mahomes down is by getting pressure on him early and often.

In the second half of the Kansas City win over Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers really brought the house in on Mahomes throughout both the third and four quarter. With that being the case, the pocket would collapse on Mahomes and he would barely have any time to make a decision. That wasn’t the case early on, with Tyreek Hill alone exploding for more than 200 receiving yards and two scores… in the first quarter.

The Pittsburgh defense has been nasty throughout the season. Their bread and butter has been guys up front winning battles in the trenches and making plays on the quarterback. Before suffering his season-ending knee injury, Dupree had posted eight sacks. The man loved nothing more than beating a tackle on the outside to bring a signal-caller down.

For the Steelers, they still of course have standouts T.J. Watt and Stephon Tuitt ready to fight their way through would-be blockers up front, but with Dupree out of the equation, the Chiefs could focus on double teams to slow those studs down.

Plain and simple, this Dupree news sucks for Steelers fans. You’ve got to feel for the outside ‘backer too. He was ready to try and help this team win a Super Bowl, but now he’ll be forced to watch how things unfold from the sidelines.