Pouncey breaks left fibula in Steelers' win, will miss significant time

The Steelers have been down this path too many times.

This time, they hope they can deal with it better than the last.

The Steelers will be without All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey for a significant portion of the season — if not all of it — after he suffered a broken left fibula that will require surgery, according to two sources familiar with the injury. Pouncey was injured during the first half of the Steelers' 24-19 win over Green Bay in front of 44,517 on Sunday at Heinz Field.

This is the third time in six years Pouncey suffered a significant leg injury — ankle in 2010, knee in 2013 and lower leg in 2015.

“Everybody knows what to expect this time around,” guard Ramon Foster said.

Two years ago, they didn't.

In 2013, Pouncey was lost for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL on the eighth play of the season against the Titans. The offensive line went into a tailspin, struggling to help the running game and protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

The Steelers finished 27th in rushing and 18th in sacks as they went 8-8 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. They used seven offensive line combinations that season.

Last year, with a healthy Pouncey — he missed only seven snaps and was on the field for every play over the final 14 games — the Steelers used only three line combinations and, in turn, produced one of the best offenses in the league.

Now, Pouncey will miss significant time again. He is a candidate to go on the injured reserve/designated to return list, which would keep him out at a minimum of six weeks (42 calendar days).

“That's my guy. That hurt,” Foster said. “We heard a little bit of rumblings on the sidelines of what was happening. That's my guy, and we are going to keep him mentally in it. Six years, three injuries. That is kind of tough to deal with. This type of thing to happen again, you've got to hate it for the guy. I do.”

Pouncey got hurt in the first quarter by Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who was making a tackle on Le'Veon Bell during a run play 5 yards down the field. Pouncey dealt with ankle problems early in his career. He missed Super Bowl XLV with a sprained ankle and had surgery in the offseason.

“It's real tough,” defensive lineman Cam Heyward said.

“Pouncey is a hard worker. He puts in a lot of work and expects a lot from everybody. He is a team leader, and I just hope he comes back healthy and fast because we need him.”

Pouncey also was hurt in a 2012 game against Tennessee and missed one game.

“It's part of the game, and we don't overanalyze it,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “It is as much a part of the game as blocking and tackling. We will make the necessary adjustments, and I expect the ball to keep rolling because that's the business we are in.”

The Steelers will turn to Cody Wallace, who has been with the team for two years and filled in for Pouncey near the end of the 2013 season.

“We have gotten a lot of reps the past couple of years with me at center, whether (it was) me easing Pouncey back into training camp this year,” Wallace said. “Hopefully, they have confidence in me that I can do the job.”

The Steelers will have 2 ¹⁄₂ weeks and two preseason games to figure out what to do at center.

Against the Packers, it appeared a young defense is figuring things out.

After an initial Aaron Rodgers drive that went 80 yards in 10 plays and resulted in a touchdown followed by a 2-point conversion, the Steelers defense stiffened.

James Harrison sacked Rodgers for a safety on the next possession. It was one of six sacks in the game for the Steelers, including one each from Jarvis Jones and rookie Bud Dupree.

“Defensively, we warmed up to it,” Tomlin said.

After the initial drive, the defense gave up 120 yards in 46 plays, but that was with Scott Tolzien, Matt Blanchard and Brett Hundley at quarterback for the Packers.

“It was a great test,” Heyward said. “It was a step in the right direction.”

On offense, Roethlisberger played three series and went 11 of 14 for 100 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to Markus Wheaton. Antonio Brown added four receptions for 24 yards, and Le'Veon Bell gained 16 yards on six carries.

Third-string quarterback Landry Jones likely solidified his roster spot with a solid outing. Jones completed 10 of 19 passes for 172 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown to Tyler Murphy and a 20-yarder to Shakim Phillips within six minutes in the fourth quarter, turning a seven-point deficit into a 24-19 lead.

“It wasn't necessarily pretty at the beginning, but we got the win,” Jones said. “All in all, it was a positive day because we won the game.”

Mark Kaboly is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at mkaboly@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MarkKaboly_Trib.