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One of the big questions surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers after their 33-18 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 8 was why the team decided to bench Artie Burns for the duration of the game.
After Mike Tomlin spoke about Burns getting more reps to get him the confidence needed to regain his form in his weekly press conference, the first round draft pick didn’t play a defensive snap on Sunday.
Why? According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN it could have been a punishment for Burns being late to a team function.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns was late to a team activity last week, according to sources, with one source saying that activity was a walkthrough. Burns did not play a defensive snap Sunday against Cleveland despite productive moments in practice.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 29, 2018
Fowler would go on to say the activity Burns was tardy for was a walkthrough prior to the Browns game.
If this report is indeed true, what is curious about this decision is how Mike Tomlin elected to not punish Le’Veon Bell when reports of him missing a walkthrough prior to the team’s playoff game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars surfaced after the loss.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what the team does with Burns moving forward. Coty Sensabaugh played the majority of the game before leaving with a foot injury. Cameron Sutton then came in to fill the vacancy across from Joe Haden. Sensabaugh’s injury could determine Burns’ availability, but ultimately the Steelers gaping hole at the CB2 position remains to be a glaring weakness on an improving unit.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news on this story, as well as other news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for their Week 9 game vs. the Baltimore Ravens.