There are times when a scapegoat is used. A player who is used as an example for a poor performance.
As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football it looks like the team might have found their scapegoat following a poor performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.
Who is the player? CB Artie Burns.
Artie Burns said he did not know if he would start Monday night. Coty Sensabaugh confirmed he has first team reps in practice Saturday. Burns said his toe injury from last week is not an issue.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) September 22, 2018
Burns popped up on the injury report last week with a toe injury, but Burns isn’t using that as an excuse. It also should be noted Burns hasn’t been listed on the team’s injury report this week.
Nonetheless, Coty Sensabaugh has been splitting reps with Burns this week, and the former first round pick is unsure if he will be across from Joe Haden on Monday night, or relegated to backup duties.
Burns hasn’t played well throughout this young season, but he is hardly alone. The entire secondary collapsed last week, and it is difficult to pin the performance just on Burns, but it seems if the Steelers make a change it will be at the cornerback position.
What might surprise some is how it is Sensabaugh, not Cameron Sutton, who would be filling in if Burns is indeed benched.
Maybe this speaks more to the state of development for both Burns and Sutton, combined with the solid play by Sensabaugh.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding this story.