Nov 29, 2016 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – Apparently, Mike Tomlin isn’t a big fan of Major League Baseball’s preferred usage of starting pitchers.

“I’m really not in the five-man rotations,” the Steelers’ head coach said Tuesday.

Actually, Tomlin wasn’t referring to pitching rotations. The five-man rotation to which Tomlin was referencing was the possibility of his team using five players at outside linebacker.

With 2015 first-round draft pick Bud Dupree now healthy, the Steelers (6-5) used all five outside linebackers on their roster in a rotation in a 28-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts last Thursday.

Tomlin told the group that isn’t something to which it should become accustomed.

The Steelers would like to use fewer, not more, outside linebackers starting Sunday when they host the New York Giants (8-3).

“As Bud gets up to speed, somebody’s going to win, somebody’s going to lose,” said Tomlin. “I don’t care who wins. I think we all win if we play the hot hand and those are our intentions.”

Dupree, who missed the first half of the season with a sports hernia, was activated two weeks ago before a 24-9 victory over Cleveland. He played just one snap in that game but his participation grew to 20 snaps against the Colts. Dupree finished with two tackles and a quarterback pressure, showing Tomlin he’s quickly rounding into playing shape.

“Health is one thing, football readiness is another,” said Tomlin of Dupree, who had four sacks as a rookie. “He missed the vast majority of training camp and the preseason. So we’re respectful of that process. We’ve been working him in and he’s been proving his overall readiness beyond his health. I think last week was a significant step for him. As long as that continues, as long as he continues to show detail in assignment and getting up to speed from a football-conditioning standpoint, it’s reasonable to expect his contributions to increase.”

The plan entering the season was for Dupree and Jarvis Jones to be paired as the starting outside linebackers. When Dupree was injured early in training camp, that plan was scrapped and the Steelers shifted to a four-man rotation that included Jones and James Harrison on the right side and Arthur Moats and Anthony Chickillo on the left.

With Dupree’s increased role last week, Moats saw his playing time decrease to 17 snaps. Chickillo played 32, Harrison 31 and Jones 26.

Production will dictate who plays.

Jones, a 2013 first-round draft pick, leads the group in tackles with 37 but has yet to record a sack. He does, however, have an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Harrison, 38, leads the team in sacks (4) and has an interception and two forced fumbles to go along with his 29 tackles. He broke the team’s all-time sack record in the win over the Browns.

Chickillo, a sixth-round draft pick last year, has 24 tackles, 2 ½ sacks and two forced fumbles, and Moats has 18 tackles and 3 ½ sacks.

The Steelers used Dupree to rush from both sides since his return though he primarily lined up on the left side last season. Dupree said he’s fine playing on either side.

Production will be the key to who plays and who doesn’t, especially with the Steelers currently tied with Baltimore for the lead in the AFC North. Tomlin isn’t thinking about developing anyone for the future. His future involves what happens in the final five games of the season.

“James is probably going to be in that mix,” Tomlin said. “He’s been a hot hand of late. He leads the group and leads us in sacks. Other than that, I’d imagine that Bud is going to be a part of the group because we’re excited about what he potentially can bring us that we haven’t seen. The other guys, it’s going to be based on performance. And I think that’s fair.”

Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is the only player Tomlin ruled out for the Giants game. Running back DeAngelo Williams (knee), safety Shamarko Thomas (groin) and tight end Xavier Grimble (quad) each have a chance to play. … When asked when New York wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is at his most dangerous, Tomlin replied, “When they snap the ball.” … Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is a finalist for FeEx Ground Player of the Week after rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown against the Colts.