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How Shaun Suisham’s injury will hurt Pittsburgh Steelers

By Tiffany Oshinsky

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The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t make it out of Canton, Ohio in one piece.

Don’t worry, Steelers nation, Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are all safe.  But another integral member of Pittsburgh’s offense wasn’t so lucky.  On Monday, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that kicker Shaun Suisham will undergo knee surgery to repair a torn ACL and cartilage damage in his left knee and will most likely be out the entire season.

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There’s a reason why kickers don’t usually partake in tackling drills at practice.  They shouldn’t have to tackle on special teams.  Unfortunately, Suisham did attempt a tackle in the second half of the Hall of Fame game Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings and that’s how he injured his knee.  Maybe kickers should practice tackling?

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Suisham, besides having a name that is super fun to say fast, has been the Steelers kicker since 2010, and boy, has he been important.  Suisham is currently ranked number five on the Steelers top scoring leaders with 545 points.  Last year, Suisham scored 132 of Pittsburgh’s 436 points (that’s 30%) thanks to his golden foot, and only missed three field goals all season.  He also has a 87.9% field goal percentage with Pittsburgh.

Since Suisham joined the team, the Steelers have played in 20 regular season games that were decided by three points or less, nine of those were won thanks to a Shaun Suisham game-winning field goal.  So yes, he’s a bit important.

So what happens now?  Well, Pittsburgh will be looking for a new kicker.

According to Bouchette, the Steelers are looking at free agents Billy Cundiff, Shayne Graham and Jay Feely–two of those guys played on AFC North division rivals!

Aug 21, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham (6) kicks an point after during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

People always think twice about kickers, but with the new field goal rules, having a clutch kicker could be the difference between a W or an L.  And even if the new rules don’t make kicking field goals any harder, you still want to make sure you have a guy who can put the ball through the upright when it matters.

I mean, Billy Cundiff?  The guy isn’t a bad kicker.  He has a career 76.2% field goal percentage.  But when I hear the words “Billy Cundiff”, all I can think of is the missed field goal–a 32-yard field goal, mind you–that would’ve sent the Ravens and Patriots into overtime of the AFC Championship game in 2012.

After that mishap, the Ravens cut him and he became the Washington Redskins kicker and then the Cleveland Browns kicker.  Might be awhile till he sees the postseason again. (Unless he signs with Pittsburgh!)  In his career, including the postseason, Cundiff has made nine of his 11 field goals at Heinz Field.

Shayne Graham is actually not new to the black and gold.  The Steelers signed him in 2013 when Suisham had a hamstring injury.  But since Suisham was able to play through it, Pittsburgh released him shortly after.  Graham’s career field goal percentage is better than Cundiff’s (85.5%), but since being cut by the Cincinnati Bengals following the 2009 season, Graham hasn’t really found a steady job.  He’s switched teams eight times in five seasons. Not sure about you, but that doesn’t exude much confidence.  In his career, Graham has made 12 out of 14 field goals at Heinz Field.

In some ways Jay Feely may be the safest bet as the Steelers kicker for 2015, in other ways, not so much.  Feely has made 82.6% of his field goals during his 14-year career, and has held a steady job playing for teams for at least two years.  But last year he couldn’t really find a team.

The Bears picked him up for the last four games of the season, but he did make five of his six field goals for them.  Another downside, Feely is the oldest kicker of the three at 39-years old.  And the final negative, Feely has also only played in 3 games in Pittsburgh, and as football fans have learned, Heinz Field is one of the hardest stadiums to kick in.

You can see the predicament here, right?  Pittsburgh will need a kicker who knows how to make field goals at home, they need someone who is clutch and can handle the pressure.

Suisham, your loss for the season is much bigger than you even know.  Everyone hopes for a speedy recovery and please make sure you teach whoever Pittsburgh signs the secrets of kicking at Heinz Field.

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