JACKSONVILLE - Injuries are always a factor in football, perhaps even more so in the NFL, where the hits are harder and the salary cap limits how many quality backups a team can stash on their roster.
Nobody knows more about that right now than the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville began the season without starting center Brad Meester, who suffered a biceps injury in the preseason, and lost starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams for the year in the a season-opening loss at Tennessee.
The Steelers, meanwhile, head to Jacksonville (2-2) tonight with a laundry list of starters out, including running back Willie Parker and nose tackle Casey Hampton. Pittsburgh (3-1) also lost Parker's replacement, top draft pick Rashard Mendenhall, and right guard Kendall Simmons for the season in Monday night's overtime victory over Baltimore.
The Steelers can't expect any sympathy from the Jaguars.
"There are always different issues that you are fighting through and we've certainly had an early season storm, having to deal with some issues of injuries across the board and not just in one area," said Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard. "But we're doing the best we can to fight through that."
This is the third time in eight games that the Steelers have played the Jaguars. Jacksonville came away with a pair of victories in Pittsburgh last season. The second meeting was a 31-29 win in the opening round of the playoffs. The Steelers rallied for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, only to lose on a 25-yard Josh Scobee field goal with 37 seconds remaining.
The Steelers aren't looking back.
"We're a different football team," said head coach Mike Tomlin. "We have players in different roles than we had a year ago. I'm sure they're different in many ways. We have to acknowledge that's the part of today's NFL."
As are the injuries.
Melwelde Moore will be the Steelers' third starting running back in as many weeks and Darnell Stapleton will make his first career start at right guard in place of Simmons.
"The good thing is you have guys who are willing and able to step up, and we have confidence in the guys who are going to be there," said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
One thing the Steelers' offense needs to imrpove is third-down conversions. After converting six of 10 in the opener against Houston, the Steelers have made only 15 of 41 since.
"Over the past two years, we've been one of the top five teams in the NFL on third downs," said wide receiver Santonio Holmes. "This year, we're just not getting the job done.
"It's all on us. It starts of first and second down. You put yourself in third-and-long, that makes it that much harder to get third-down conversions."
Part of that has been because of problems protecting Roethlisberger. The Steelers have allowed 16 sacks, the second-highest total in the league.
But after giving up three sacks in the first half against Baltimore, the Steelers did not allow a sack in the second half or overtime.
Jacksonville's defense has only five sacks and is allowing opponents to convert third downs at a 50 percent rate.
Odds and end zones
Bryant McFadden will make his fourth consecutive start at cornerback in place of Deshea Townsend, who returned as a nickel back against Baltimore after sitting out two games with a heel injury. ... Jacksonville cornerback Drayton Florence and safety Reggie Nelson are out. ... The Steelers released linebacker Patrick Bailey and signed defensive lineman Scott Paxson, who played at Penn State.