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LeBeau Looking Forward To LB Woodley's Return

PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- A lengthy drive at the start of the second half set the tone for a woeful finish in Week 14. As he schemes against Tony Romo, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau hopes Week 15 will be a different story, especially given the imminent return of starting linebacker LaMarr Woodley.

"Whenever he's not in there, you're going to feel his loss with the pressure, and when he's in there, you're going to pick up that plus. Add to that the fact he's so big they have a hard time blocking him. He has a lot of assets, and we're happy to have him back," LeBeau said after practice on the South Side Thursday.

The Steelers come into Cowboys Stadium leading the NFL in pass defense (169.2 yards/game) and total defense (262.4 yards/game). Romo, for all his well-documented foibles, still has Dallas ranked as the third-most dangerous passing offense in the league (292.2 yards/game).

Furthermore, the Steelers will be missing stalwart Ike Taylor once again, while replacement Curtis Brown is coming off a very unimpressive performance against San Diego, and the jury remains out on fellow backup defensive backs Josh Victorian and DeMarcus Van Dyke.

"We've got some quality depth there. It's a challenge for us. We think we've got a plan, and the right people to step in there and pick it up," LeBeau said.

He further explained how the Steelers will try to adjust their secondary:

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Kickoff between the Steelers and Cowboys is set for 4:15 Sunday on KDKA-TV.

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