Injury sends Steelers searching for new snapper

By Neal Coolong  |   Tuesday, October 28, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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Unheralded Steelers long-snapper Greg Warren cemented his legacy Sunday at Heinz Field.

His absence ultimately did in the Steelers, who dropped a winnable game against a very good New York Giants team.

Warren was injured in the fourth quarter with the Steelers holding a 14-12 lead, and outside linebacker James Harrison -- who has never snapped a ball in a game, including high school -- launched the ball over punter Mitch Berger's head and out of the end zone for a safety. The Giants scored their only touchdown of the game after the free kick, icing a huge 21-14 win.

Commentary: It's really hard to blame Harrison. The Steelers' defense had played quite well up to that point, but cracks were starting to appear on both sides of the ball. The Steelers also lost free safety Ryan Clark, who got hurt during the game, left tackle Marvel Smith, cornerback Bryant McFadden and wide receiver Santonio Holmes. They weren't making excuses, but beating the defending champs isn't easy as it is, let alone when you have Tyrone Carter responsible for deep help on Giants wideout Plaxico Burress.

The loss of Warren goes to show how crucial depth is over the course of a game. Long-snapper is a critical position, but teams aren't generally going to have a backup who is practicing snaps during the week. Maybe the Steelers will now.

The Steelers are looking at four long-snappers -- Jared Retkofsky, Tim Lindsey, Derek Rackley and Boone Stutz. Retkofsky signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2007.

Fan Pulse: The question fans are asking on Pittsburgh Live is: Why was Harrison the emergency snapper?

Fantasy Football Impact: None.

Injury Watch: Clark separated his shoulder, but he hasn't been ruled out of Monday night's game at Washington.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one ...
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