PITTSBURGH -- They say you never truly appreciate the value of something until it's gone.
Just in case a pair of offseason additions -- safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Donte Jackson -- hadn't already proved their worth to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the field, their recent absences have only amplified their impact.
To understand what these two members of the secondary have meant to the defense, go back to the offseason. When the Steelers made inside linebacker Patrick Queen the highest-paid external free-agent signing in team history, Elliott and Jackson somewhat flew under the radar.
Jackson was reportedly set to be cut by the Carolina Panthers before the Steelers acquired him in exchange for embattled receiver Diontae Johnson. Meanwhile, Elliott signed a two-year, $6 million deal in the second wave of free agency.
At the time, it was easy to view both players as part of the supporting cast, rounding out a star-laden defense that features highly compensated Pro Bowlers like T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick. But over the course of the season, Elliott and Jackson have turned into critical cogs.
Jackson, who settled into a starting role at cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr., might not be perfect in coverage, but he's been one of the most opportunistic players in the league. That began in Week 1 when he intercepted Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. Through 15 weeks, Jackson tallied five interceptions, tied for fourth-most in the NFL.
Elliott has been even better. His mere presence has allowed Fitzpatrick to patrol the deep middle of the field, where he's most comfortable and where he should have more opportunities to be a ball hawk. And in the run game, Elliott has been a consistent force, racking up 96 tackles (64 solo and four for loss).
"The things he does in the run game are pretty exceptional," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. "I think the guy has been having a great year. We know all about T.J. Watt and those guys. But I think quietly this guy has been having an outstanding year, like really top notch."
Even on a team that employs the NFL's third-highest-paid safety in Fitzpatrick, it would be easy to argue Elliott has been the Steelers' most impactful safety. He's had a hand in six turnovers (one interception, two forced fumbles and three recoveries). That $3 million annual salary now looks like one of the best bargains of the offseason, especially when you consider that 44 NFL safeties make more per year. Elliott should be getting Pro Bowl attention, if he isn't already.
Maybe he finally will. Over the past two weeks, the Steelers have learned what life is like without these unsung contributors.
In Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers began the game without Elliott, who was dealing with a hamstring injury, then lost Jackson mid-game to a back injury. They had to shuffle some pieces, often moving Fitzpatrick into the box while elevating safety Damontae Kazee into an expanded role in the deep middle of the field. Jackson's injury thrust reserve cornerback James Pierre into the game.
While the Steelers kept Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts somewhat in check on the ground, holding them to 110 combined rushing yards, they were repeatedly gashed through the air, as Hurts had 290 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Saturday in Baltimore against the Ravens, the Steelers' defense was even further depleted. Pittsburgh entered the game missing Elliott, Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi. Then cornerback Joey Porter Jr. left the game with a knee injury. Without Elliott's physicality, the Ravens ran the ball at will, as Derrick Henry racked up 162 of the Ravens' 220 rushing yards.
And with three-fourths of the secondary injured, the Steelers often weren't on the same page. On two touchdowns -- one to tight end Isaiah Likely and one to tight end Mark Andrews -- Ravens pass catchers were left wide open due to miscommunications or missed assignments.
"We should be better this time of year," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on Sunday after reviewing the film. "I was really displeased with the two red zone touchdowns, for example, to the tight ends. It's just too late in the year to have guys running open like that, to be quite honest with you. So we've got some work to do this week in terms of shoring some of that up."
When the Steelers embarked upon this three-games-in-11-days stretch, they knew it would be a measuring stick against legitimate Super Bowl contenders like the Eagles, Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. Playing physically dominant opponents like the Eagles and Ravens six days apart has also proven to be a test of the Steelers' depth and the readiness of the backups.
They've fallen short in all of these tests.
"Everyone is dealing with that stuff at this point in the season," Watt said, dismissing the injuries as the reason for the dysfunction.
The Steelers should know. A year ago, they reached an almost comical level of injury misfortune, losing two-thirds of their inside linebacker rotation (Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander) and several safeties, including Keanu Neal and Trenton Thompson. They were quite literally calling players, like Myles Jack, out of retirement, yet still found a way to fight back from the brink of elimination to qualify for the playoffs. Austin did perhaps his best coaching job to rally that group and get players signed off the couch on the same page.
So where does a once-dominant Steelers defense, which has now been exposed in back-to-back weeks, go from here?
Well, there could be some good news. Tomlin said during his news conference Sunday that Elliott, Jackson and Ogunjobi have a "real chance" to play in Wednesday's Christmas Day game against the Chiefs. (He also said the same for offensive playmakers George Pickens and Justin Fields.) The Steelers didn't practice Sunday, but on the estimated practice report, Elliott, Jackson and Ogunjobi were all listed as limited participants.
However, Tomlin said Porter's knee injury will likely prevent him from playing on Christmas. One way or another, whether the Steelers get Jackson back or not, they will be starting at least one backup at cornerback, with Pierre or Cory Trice Jr. replacing Porter. It remains to be seen whether Elliott's hamstring has recovered enough for him to play.
For the Steelers to have any shot of containing Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Chiefs on Wednesday, they'll need either a shot-in-the-arm from Elliott and Jackson or for the backups to follow last season's blueprint.
If they can't, they'll be looking back at the two-game lead -- and the inside track to win the division -- they once had over the Ravens, realizing what they had now that it's gone.