Pittsburgh Steelers rule out Cortez Allen

The Pittsburgh Steelers have ruled out starting cornerback Cortez Allen for Monday night’s rivalry matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, and that’s a move that bodes well for Mohamed Sanu. The Steelers could also be missing another cornerback in Curtis Brown, and the lack of depth at the position going into Monday’s game is a concerning thing. As it stands right now, rookie safety Shamarko Thomas would play in the slot, and that’s going to be an interesting storyline to watch for.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cortez Allen (28) reacts as he takes the field against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest storyline at CB for the Steelers is how Ike Taylor matches up against elite wide receiver A.J. Green, and Taylor is the only guy with a prayer at covering him. Even at his age, Taylor is still a solid cornerback, and I don’t think he’ll get embarrassed against Green. That said, Allen’s injury hurts the Steelers overall pass defense, and it will be interesting to see how the likes of William Gay and Thomas can handle a pretty good group of Bengals receivers.

Allen’s designation as “out” comes as little surprise, as he did not practice this week with the ankle injury and was previously listed doubtful. Le’Veon Bell and Heath Miller have also been officially ruled out for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but those are two incredibly obvious injuries. The Bengals No. 2-4 receivers aren’t the best in the game, but they’re solid and will give a thinner Steelers secondary some problems on Monday.

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