Steelers Now
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Cole Holcomb made an instant impact in Sunday’s 21-14 win over the New England Patriots.
Getting the start over Payton Wilson, Holcomb stripped running back Rhamondre Stevenson on the opening drive. Steelers cornerback Darius Slay recovered the loose ball. The Steelers capitalized off the turnover with a 1-yard Kenneth Gainwell touchdown run to give the Steelers an early 7-0 lead.
“Just came in and took a shot on the ball,” Holcomb said on his forced fumble. “It’s always to get those early. Like Mike Tomlin always says, they come in bunches.”
Holcomb has come a long way since suffering a serious knee injury midway through the 2023 season. He has been sidelined since but impressed during the summer and preseason.
“Honestly, I was just excited to be able to get out there and get an opportunity to play the game that I love,” Holcomb said when asked about getting back on the field after missing all of last year.
Pittsburgh’s No. 1 priority is stopping the run,but it hasn’t been able to do that, which is why the Steelers made the move to play Holcomb over Wilson. To say the least, Wilson was a liability in the run game in the first two weeks.
Holcomb said his start was a personnel-based thing against New England.
“If they come out in a lot of 12 (personnel), I am going to get a lot of playing time,” Holcomb said.
The Steelers allowed an 100-yard yard rusher in back-to-back weeks to start the season. Against New England, the Steelers surrendered 119 yards on 29 carries (4.1 average). Quarterback Drake Maye led the Patriots in rushing with 45 yards. While not great, the Steelers defense was better against the run on Sunday.
Benching Wilson wasn’t the only personnel change, as rookie Yayha Black started at defensive end and Jabrill Peppers started at strong safety. Like Holcomb, Peppers also had a force fumble.
In total, the Steelers forced five turnovers. Holcomb set the tone on the first drive.
“Definitely not taking any play for granted anymore,” Holcomb said in regard to his lengthy recovery process. “It was a long journey. It was a hell of a journey. There were days that it sucked. But it’s on to the next one.”
Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe provided reporting from Foxborough, Mass.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Cole Holcomb Turns Heads vs. Patriots after Lengthy Recovery Process: ‘It Was a Hell of a Journey’
