Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers will bolster their defensive front when they visit the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (knee) seems to be ready to get back in the fold.
Harmon has missed the past three games due to an injury to the same knee he banged up in the preseason.
“We had some guys that missed the previous game or games and are angling toward getting back,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “Probably the most favorable of those is Derrick Harmon. He was probably healthy enough to play at the very end of last week, but as a young guy with limited rep opportunities, I didn’t think it would be fair to him or for us to put him in uniform, and so he’ll have an opportunity to get a complete week’s work, getting an opportunity to go back to his hometown and play some football.
“He certainly has been an asset to us, particularly in terms of defending and stopping the run, and anticipating what we’re gonna face this week, man, that’ll be big.”
Harmon, the team’s first-round pick in this past draft, has played in nine games this season. He has 22 combined tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass defended. With him in the lineup, the Steelers allow 96 rushing yards per game.
Averaging 131.1 yards per game, the Lions have the fifth-best rushing offense in the NFL.
Alan Saunders contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Defensive Front Has Big Help on the Way
