Steelers’ Eason goes up against another replacement

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, October 26, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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In the chess match that is pro football, fierce rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati will be without key pawns this Sunday.

But because these are players who would be opposing each other, you might almost call it a checkmate. (I know -- I'm taking liberties with the chess metaphor here).

Aaron Smith, who has 16 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery this season, will probably be missing from the left side of the Steelers' defensive line with a knee injury.

That would be bad news for the Steelers if veteran Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson were in the lineup. But Anderson is also sidelined with his own knee problems, which leaves mammoth Stacy Andrews on that side and Nick Eason trying to get past him.

Eason, a fifth-year player out of Clemson, is playing with his third team. The Steelers picked him up as a free agent from Cleveland. His best year came with the Browns in 2005, when he had 25 tackles and a pair of sacks.

At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, he'll be giving away 4 inches and 32 pounds to the 6-7, 342-pound Andrews. But Andrews (brother of former Philadelphia Eagle draftee Shawn) has a curious footnote to his bio -- he didn't play football in high school, but lettered in track and basketball. He walked on at Mississippi, and wound up as a starter, but that arrested development may affect him in the technique area.

It's an interesting matchup to watch, though, because the Steelers (4-2) will need to put some significant pressure on QB Carson Palmer of Cincinnati (2-4) to keep him from lighting up the scoreboard. If Andrews isn't up to the task, Eason could be bringing some of the heat.

Indeed, Eason got in Jay Cutler's face a couple of times last week after Smith went out. But while Smith has two sacks this season, Eason has two in his career.
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