What MATTers : Suisham's Injury a Big Loss for Steelers

A tackle. That was all. Steelers K Shaun Suisham went to make a play in Sunday Night's Hall of Fame Game, and suddenly, his season came to a crashing end. He will undergo season ending ACL surgery this week, which will in fact close his season out. The team placed Suisham on injured reserve Monday. Let's hope the Steelers' kicking game and special teams do not follow in similar fashion. In his five years as Steelers' K, Suisham has converted 87.8% of his kicks and has never missed an extra point. At the apex of his professional career, Suisham has put together three consecutive seasons of 90+% success on field goals - 90.3% (2012), 93.8% (2013), and 90.6% (2014). As a result, his loss should be a concern for Pittsburgh. In 2014, the Steelers ranked 4th in the NFL in FG success rate at 90.6%. That is above the league average of 84.0%. Factor in Suisham made the game-winning kick against the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, and his reliability is even more valuable. The question is, who do the Steelers turn to? What can they expect from replacements? I can tell you it will be difficult to find a reliable kicker who is going to compare. Reports mention Jeff Reed, a former Steeler. Is anyone really serious? Reed hasn't played in the league since 2011. Nonetheless, the team is going to have to dig deep. In my opinion, kickers are underrated commodities. Sure, any team can pick one up. But what happens when they miss a kick in a tight game situation? As fans, it will be interesting to watch what the team decides. My hope is Pittsburgh catches a diamond in the rough, that they find a player who craves this opportunity and makes the most of it by excelling and getting the job done.
Here we go, Steeler Nation, the first significant story line of the preseason for your team. Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin will have to rise up.