PITTSBURGH -- Lawrence Timmons spent a portion of last Sunday in a Philadelphia hospital trying not to freak out about a puncture wound to the shin the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker suffered early in an ugly loss to the Eagles.He might be one of the healthier starters on a defense forced to bounce back from a toothless performance littered with breakdowns both mental and physical.Timmons practiced on Thursday and joked the blood that soaked through his sock looked like something out of a cheap horror movie.What happened on the field without Timmons wasnt quite so funny in a 31-point hot mess that marked the franchises worst loss in more than a quarter century.Now Pittsburgh (2-1) must try to fix things on the fly with new parts -- or in some cases ones that havent been used for a while -- in new places.Linebacker Ryan Shazier is likely out with an achy right knee. Rookie safety Sean Davis is out with a bad back, while Robert Goldens hamstring is nowhere close to being ready.The options to fill in on the leagues 31st-ranked pass defense include cornerback Justin Gilbert (acquired from the Browns a month ago ), safety Shamarko Thomas (the former heir apparent to retired Troy Polamalu who has struggled to stay healthy and make any significant contributions outside of special teams) and maybe even former practice squad player Jordan Dangerfield.Defensive coordinator Keith Butler makes it a point to mix the starters with the backups during practice to keep the understudies fresh. Time to see how much theyve learned.We keep guys who make our roster who we think can play in the NFL, Butler said. When you have injuries, and injuries are part of playing in the NFL, youve got to have guys step up and do a good job with it. Were hoping thatll be the case.The Steelers dont really have much choice if they want to get a handle on the Chiefs (2-1), whose game plan will almost certainly mirror what the Eagles did so well.If I was looking at that film, I would, Butler said. Weve got to correct some things to make sure we didnt do some of the things we did last week.Namely missing tackles leading to chunk plays, and drawing flags that extended Philadelphia drives.Theres really not much Butler can do about the tackling, something that wasnt much of a problem in the first two weeks, when the Steelers won relatively easily and gave up yards in the middle of the field, but not in the red zone.Theres no team that tackles more than we do in the offseason and in training camp, safety Mike Mitchell said. Ive played for three teams, so I know that. No one hits more than we do. Its comes down to getting the job done. Getting the result we want. Its not like were not in position.Maybe, but that will be challenged against the Chiefs. Butlers system is a little more streamlined than his predecessor Dick LeBeau, though that is largely out of necessity.While LeBeau could rely heavily on veterans to embrace the nuances of his scheme, Butler doesnt have that luxury coaching a defense that has 13 players on the depth chart with three years experience or less.This is the youngest weve been on defense in a long time, said Timmons, who is in his 10th season.Youve got to do whatever it takes to get those (younger) guys on the field and get them playing like they know everything as a rookie. Thats tough on him. Were 2-1. We had a little hiccup here on the road and get back on the winning track.Some pressure on the quarterback would help, any pressure really. The Steelers barely touched rising Philadelphia star Carson Wentz a week ago and now face Alex Smith, who is a more mobile version of the Eagles rookie.Butler is coy about whether hell blitz more often to give the pass rush a boost, something hes been hesitant to do so far over concerns about the rawness of Pittsburghs secondary.Our young guys are maturing a little bit, Butler said. Theyre coming along and we need for them to come along.Game notes G Ramon Foster (chest), WR Eli Rogers (toe) and OL Cody Wallace (knee) did not practice. G B.J. Finney was limited. ... The Steelers released RB Daryl Richardson on Thursday to make room on the roster for RB LeVeon Bell, who will return on Sunday after serving a three-game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL http://www.texansrookiestore.com/Texans-Deandre-Hopkins-Jersey/ .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. http://www.texansrookiestore.com/Texans-Jon-Weeks-Jersey/ . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. http://www.texansrookiestore.com/Texans-Chris-Clark-Jersey/ . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. http://www.texansrookiestore.com/Texans-Kendall-Langford-Jersey/ . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. http://www.texansrookiestore.com/Texans-Shane-Lechler-Jersey/ . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. On Saturday, DAngelo Russell upstaged the matchup of No. 1 and No. 2 picks Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas by making the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. In his next appearance Monday night, Russell claimed the spotlight the whole ggame with a performance that showcased his All-Star potential.ddddddddddddHere are grades for Russell and eight other players in action Monday: Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '