Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre went down after helping tackle Buffalo Bills receiver Gabe Davis on a third-and-8 late in the second quarter.
Pierre walked off under his own power, then headed to the blue medical tent on the sideline to be checked for a concussion. Asante Samuel Jr. replaced Pierre on the field as the Bills planned to go for the fourth-and-3.
Pierre, who earned a steady spot on the boundary as Darius Slay dealt with an injury, has been a starter each of the past three weeks. He helped stymie Ja’Marr Chase when the Cincinnati Bengals visited and played most of last week’s loss to the Chicago Bears even though Slay returned from his injury.
Samuel, who’d signed with the Steelers earlier this month after having neck surgery this offseason, saw his first action in black and gold after being called up from the practice squad. Pierre emerged from the tent with his helmet.
Slay, a veteran who’d joined the Steelers via free agency during the offseason, was a healthy scratch for the matchup with the Bills. Slay hasn’t performed as the team hoped after winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
The Bills were forced into taking a timeout before the fourth-down try, then committed a false start penalty afterward. Buffalo’s Matt Prater wound up kicking a 27-yard field goal.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Asante Samuel Makes Steelers Debut after Another Defensive Injury
