5 Steelers to watch during preseason Week 2 against the Falcons
Week 2 of the preseason has arrived! This weekend the Pittsburgh Steelers will be traveling to Atlanta to take on the Falcons.
Following their victory versus the New York Giants, the team will be looking to build off of their momentum. There are players who performed well who will be looking to continue to do so, as well as players who were previously injured looking to make their debut. With a roster as deep as the Steelers, many spots will be determined by who shows up during the preseason games.
Here are five players to watch when the Steelers take on the Falcons…
James Conner (RB)
While he may not be a fringe player, somebody that we are all excited to watch is James Conner. The third-round pick has taken Pittsburgh by storm, already having one of the top selling jerseys in the NFL (not just in Steelers markets, across the whole league). A shoulder injury has kept Conner on the shelf, but it’s looking like he’ll be making his preseason debut versus the Falcons.
There are many reasons for us to be excited to see Conner. He’s a bruiser and we’ll certainly see him knock some Falcons around, but he is also deceivingly shifty and has the ability to make guys miss.
Given that during his last season at Pitt he was coming off his battle with cancer, we likely haven’t seen his ceiling. Le’Veon Bell became a whole new player when he entered the NFL and it’s hard not to ponder if Conner is capable of the same metamorphosis.
Speaking of Bell, considering his status with the team is up in the air (even though I think he will be starting week one), the team and fans will want assurance that our rushing attack can be led by Conner.
Justin Hunter (WR)
About two weeks ago, everyone was buzzing about Justin Hunter. The free agent signing looked like a revelation in camp and Hunter was seemingly was a lock to make this roster. Fast forward to now and all is quiet on the Hunter front. It’s easy to point out that his drop-off correlated with the team beginning to practice with pads on, but it’s also worth noting an injury sidelined him briefly and prevented him from playing versus the Giants.
A high performance against the Falcons will be imperative for Hunter to make this roster. There’s no questioning his athleticism; it is his consistency and effort that must be displayed. We’ve seen plenty of players over the years dominate in camp only to disappear during the preseason games – more often than not those guys don’t make the roster.
We’ve seen plenty of players over the years dominate in camp only to disappear during the preseason games – more often than not those guys don’t make the roster. In order to make the team, Hunter will need to prove he can be a reliable option and is more than simply a journeyman, especially if he’s hoping to beat our former third round pick, Sammie Coates.
Jake McGee (TE)
The area where the Steelers are weakest may be at tight end. While Jesse James is a solid starter and David Johnson a reliable veteran, there isn’t much beyond them. For awhile it was a fair assumption that Xavier Grimble would claim the third tight end spot on the depth chart, more or less because there was nobody to compete with him. Following the Steelers preseason game versus the Giants, a competition may be brewing.
Jake McGee had a very solid game versus the Giants. His blocking was sound and his most noticeable play was on Terrell Watson‘s touchdown run where McGee was the lead blocker and stonewalled a defender, clearing a path for Watson to score. He needs to work towards building on this momentum going into the next game versus the Falcons.
He may not be an elite athlete, but the way for him to make this roster is to be reliable. This means being an efficient blocker and not dropping any passes. McGee has an uphill battle to make the final 53, but if he can continue to impress in the remaining preseason games he has the potential to beat out Grimble.
Brian Allen (CB)
Cornerback Mike Hilton had his big game that got everybody talking, now it’s Brian Allen‘s turn. Like Hilton, Allen is a fringe player that is fighting for a roster spot. What separates him from Hilton though, and the rest of the Steelers secondary for that matter is his sheer size. Allen is listed as 6’3, 215 pounds. For perspective, compared to cornerback Artie Burns, Allen is three inches taller, fifteen pounds heavier, and has almost one inch longer arms. He’s a big boy.
While his size is certainly enticing, there’s a reason Allen fell to the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft – he’s a project. Allen was a wide receiver all his life until he entered college where at Utah he was converted into a cornerback. Allen has a long way to go learning the position, but he’s flashed potential. He’s made a handful of plays during training camp and even had a pass breakup versus the Giants.
The risk that comes with keeping Allen on the roster is that it’s tough to tell if he will be ready to contribute beyond special teams, which is why it is vital for Allen to perform well during the preseason games.
Tyler Matakevich (ILB)
Every year there are players who flash in camp and then fail to translate that ability onto the field. A player working to avoid that label this year is Tyler “Dirty Red” Matakevich. According to reports, the former seventh round pick has been a star during camp, impressing with both his instincts and physicality. He may not have the speed of fellow linebacker Ryan Shazier, but Matakevich has the football IQ to compensate for his lack of athleticism.
Though a small sample size, Matakevich failed to stand out versus the Giants. He played 23 snaps on defense (30%) and finished with two total tackles with only a single solo tackle. Those aren’t the kinds of numbers you want to see from a supposed tackling machine.
Matakevich has a tall task ahead of him. It is looking like he will win the job as the primary back-up inside linebacker. Given Shazier’s unfortunate injury history, this is a job that could lead to Matakevich starting a few games this season. High performance in these preseason games is imperative for him; showing that he can be more than just a training camp star and can be relied upon to step up as a starter.
