Powerful Guard to Ready to Make First Start with Steelers

PITTSBURGH — James Daniels has not done much in practice this week after suffering a groin injury. In his place, right guard Nate Herbig has stepped into that role with Daniels on the sidelines. It would be his first career start with the Steelers if Daniels can not play, but Herbig is ready for anything that comes his way, as he is the primary backup at all three interior spots.

The Steelers signed away from the New York Jets this offseason, and they plan for Herbig to be the guy who slots right into the lineup without missing much of a beat. Herbig has more power than the athletic, finesse-based Daniels. That could change what the team looks to do against the Texans coming up this week.

“I have to approach every week like I’m going to play,” Herbig said. “You know, it’s always having the mentality to respond and be ready to go around the league. You see injuries happen all the time, so you have to be ready to fill in.”

The team has toyed with running more gap concepts with pulling guards, but they’ve never actually run the ball off that action. Instead, the team has employed play action to mess with defenses on those plays, but they have yet to pull out an accurate counter or power run. But that might change with Herbig in the lineup this week, which fits those gap concepts much more.

The game fits into Herbig’s hands better that way. This week has allowed Herbig to take it in as he will start against the Texans. It’s a whirlwind for any offensive lineman to step into a role at a moment’s notice, but that is something that Herbig has made a career of in the NFL.

“I got a lot of reps this week,” Herbig said. “You feel like there’s a lot of cohesion building through those reps. The whole offensive line room is close. We are all confident no matter who is out there.”

The plan seems, right now, to be Herbig out there while Daniels sits to the wayside with the groin injury. Despite Mike Tomlin not being overly concerned with the Daniels injury at the start of the week, his lack of participation speaks more volumes than Tomlin’s words from Tuesday do at this stage in the game.