When Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey went down with a fractured fibula during the preseason, veteran reserve Cody Wallace knew that he had a tall task ahead of him trying to replace the first-team All-Pro lineman.
No matter how well the journeyman in his third season with the Steelers would perform, it would never live up to the standards that Pouncey has set over the course of the first several years of his career, during which every healthy season ended in the Pro Bowl and at least a second-team All-Pro nod.
And to be sure, Wallace’s performance through the first quarter of the season thus far has been at a level substantially below the benchmark that Pouncey sets for the center position on the Steelers, and around the league, as one of the best currently in the NFL.