Keenan Lewis impresses Mike Tomlin with 'gritty' play

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis played with a nagging hip injury in Pittsburgh's Week 16 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals and impressed coach Mike Tomlin along the way. Lewis was often limping in between plays, but stayed in the game because the Steelers have several injury problems in the secondary.

Tomlin called the performance "gritty" and said, "He recognized the gravity of the moment, and he gave us what he had to give, and we appreciate it." In his fourth season in the league, Lewis has started every game at cornerback for the Steelers this year. He made 69 tackles and defended 23 passes over the first 15 games of the season. Lewis injured his hip in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys and was limited in practice, but was able to play against Cincinnati.

The Steelers close out their season against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Dec. 30 in Pittsburgh. With a win they will finish the season at 8-8.