Trio of newcomers to Steelers secondary plays part in holding down Bucs, Tom Brady

The names Jackson, Wilson and Riley would have the makings of a reputable law firm if those three men already didn’t have jobs as professional football players.

Until Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers fans could be forgiven if they didn’t realize the trio of Josh Jackson, Quincy Wilson and Elijah Riley held jobs with their favorite NFL team.

It’s safe to say their names were more recognizable Monday, a day after they played in a secondary depleted by injuries and helped the Steelers snap a four-game losing streak with a 20-18 victory against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium.

Before he could field a question in his postgame interview, coach Mike Tomlin made sure to recognize the secondary that featured three players who just days prior were members of the practice squad and two months earlier were employed by other organizations.

“Man, it was a great opportunity for a lot of those guys,” Tomlin said. “The first opportunity in some instances. Redemption in some instances. Guys getting an opportunity to get back in the fold. Guys that hadn’t been a part of us.”

Jackson, Wilson and Riley were pressed into action because of injuries to four of the team’s top six defensive backs: All-Pro free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon, Cam Sutton and Levi Wallace.

Jackson was signed to the 53-man roster Saturday, and Wilson and Riley were promoted from the practice squad to provide the Steelers with enough healthy bodies in their matchup against Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion.

Jackson joined third-year backup James Pierre as the starting corners. Wilson rotated in for Jackson and then replaced Pierre when he was injured in the fourth quarter. Riley played nine snaps primarily as a dime linebacker.

Elsewhere in the secondary, Tre Norwood started at free safety a week after filling in for Terrell Edmunds at strong safety. Edmunds, back from his one-game absence, and slot corner Arthur Maulet provided stability on the back end.

All the group did was hold Brady to 243 yards passing and keep him from reaching the end zone until 4 minutes, 38 seconds remained in the game.

“I was proud of those guys,” Maulet said Monday. “The moment wasn’t too big for them. They played technique ball, sound defense, and I was happy we could do it together as a defense.”

It helped that the three newcomers brought varying degrees of NFL experience to the Steelers, with Jackson and Wilson having the pedigree of being former second-round draft picks by Green Bay and Indianapolis, respectively.

Jackson joined the Steelers practice squad Sept. 5 after being released by Arizona. His start against the Bucs was the 16th of his five-year NFL career. A week earlier, in his first appearance with the Steelers, he was beaten on a 24-yard touchdown catch by Buffalo’s Khalil Shakir. Against the Bucs, he allowed three catches on four targets for 33 yards, only 5 coming after the catch, while playing 59 of 72 snaps.

Wilson, another five-year veteran, had 11 career starts between Indianapolis and the New York Jets before missing most of last season because of injury. Released by Miami in August, he joined the Steelers on Sept. 21. No passes were targeted in his direction on his 11 snaps subbing for Jackson and Pierre.

“I’ve been preparing as if I would play anyways, just to get back in the groove of things,” Wilson said of his mindset. “I’ve been in this position before and not been ready. I’m an older guy now, so I always prepare like I’m going to play just in case, even if I know I’m not playing.”

Riley had the most experience in the Steelers secondary. He was claimed off waivers Aug. 24, a day after being released by the Jets, and was added to practice squad at the beginning of the season. He started seven games last season, which the former undrafted free agent split between Philadelphia and New York.

With just three practice days to integrate the newcomers into a secondary tasked with facing Brady, Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin scaled back the playbook and disguised coverages.

“When you’re playing such a great quarterback like that, you can’t be stagnant,” Norwood said. “You have to disguise and make him see something different when the ball is snapped so he has to hold the ball a little bit longer.”

A week after allowing 432 passing yards and touchdown receptions of 98, 62 and 24 yards in a 38-3 loss at Buffalo, the Steelers rebounded against the NFL’s most prolific passer. Brady had just two completions that were longer than 20 yards, a stark contrast from a week earlier. The longest gain was 28 yards.

“We played together and tried to play smart, tried to play fast,” Edmunds said. “What else could we lose? We were already 1-4. Now we’re trying to keep on building and turn our season around.”