Quick Yinzing: Steelers non-spectacular in loss to Colts
Welcome to “Quick Yinzing”, a fast reaction article where a member of the SCU staff gives their initial post-game impressions without digging into any films, stats, or other analysis. It’s as real as that car ride home or sobering down at the bar following the game!
On a night when the sports world was nearly consumed with the much-anticipated Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor fight, the Pittsburgh Steelers battled with the Indianapolis Colts in their third preseason game. It wasn’t one for the books as the Steelers struggled in several areas; nearly as much as I did in maintaining a steady stream of the play on the field.
The Steelers sent Ben Roethlisberger out for the first offensive series and in the handful of snaps he took, he completed six passes for 73 yards and didn’t look like rust has accumulated. ‘Big Ben’ was on the unfortunate end of a miscue along the offensive line that included Alejandro Villanueva and tight end Jesse James, resulting in a stripped ball that the Colts recovered.
Villanueva would have one of the worst showings he’s had in a long time, struggling with the Colts regardless of what string of defensive player he faced.
Roethlisberger wasn’t replaced by Josh Dobbs, however, but a back-from-injury Landry Jones. Jones was better than he’s been on many occasions. His numbers showed why Dobbs has yet to surpass him as Roethlisberger’s backup, though. Dobbs was thrown into the game almost as an afterthought – which was a bit bizarre. Jones finished with 21 completions for 163 yards passing.
In the run game, Knile Davis got the early carries as Fitzgerald Toussaint was forced from the game with a leg injury. Davis was able to rip off a nice 11-yard run and two carries early for 21, adding a catch on a screen play.
James Conner and Terrell Watson both got time on the field as well. Conner continues to be a work in progress, but the rookie has shown some good instincts that should improve over time. Watson is making a case for his sticking around in Pittsburgh and may fight Trey Williams for a spot on the practice squad.
The tight end situation continues to be fluid for the Steelers. Jesse James missed two easy catches while Xavier Grimble capped off a 63-yard drive with a one-handed grab in the end zone for a touchdown.
JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered another leg injury but was able to return near the end of the game, but Eli Rogers was the real story among the Steelers wide receivers on the night. Rogers was on-point on crossing routes and hauled in some nice catches, making it look routine.
After last week’s game, there was a lot of concern about the lack of spark and consistency in the Steelers’ defensive backfield. Another game with the same questions isn’t something fans were hoping for. Some of the issues were created by an inconsistent pass rush and up-front pressure that was on-again off-again.
Ross Cockrell was called for defensive pass interference early (a gray area call) and looked sluggish in coverage, trailing his receiver several times and getting caught out of position. He wasn’t alone in the lackluster department. Robert Golden ran into Artie Burns, knocking his teammate off of the receiver he was about to tackle.
Cam Sutton was solid in his first game healthy for the Steelers and Mike Hilton has been quietly making a name for himself while others have struggled. Coty Sensabaugh replaced Cockrell at one point and the Steelers played a lot more ‘dime’ defense than we’ve seen in quite awhile (with William Gay in for Vince Williams at one point).
Ryan Shazier read a Scott Tolzien pass over the middle to tight end Jack Doyle perfectly, jumping the route for an interception at the Steelers 20-yard line and returned it for 12 yards.
Overall, there is a lot of wrinkles to iron out on this 2017 team, but the early favorites for starting positions seem to have them locked up. A loss is a loss, but it’s also a learning opportunity. Here’s hoping that Pittsburgh gets back onto the practice field and figures those things out before their final preseason game.
