Steelers fall to Packers in subpar preseason performance
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! This week Joe Kuzma and Christina Rivers team up for the chalk talk.
The Pittsburgh Steelers closed shop on their 2018 training camp and packed their bags for Lambeau Field Thursday night to play the Green Bay Packers. Despite several star players sidelined for both teams, the second preseason game provided a glimpse of what the Steelers future may look like. After allowing the Packers to put up 51 points, there is plenty to hope for that the future improves in a hurry over the next two preseason games.
Joe on the Quarterbacks
We already knew that Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones would be sitting this one out.
For some, Jones’ benching may have come as a surprise. However, it wasn’t much of a shocker to me, as I expected Mike Tomlin to give both of the younger quarterbacks more time to work on their craft.
After all, the organization already knows what type of player Landry Jones is; and following a perfect night to start the first preseason game, he appears to be in no danger of losing his roster spot as the veteran of the group backing up Big Ben.
Christina on Dobbs versus Rudolph
Mason Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs aren’t making it easy on the Steelers staff who have to decide who, of the two, will get cut or placed on the sideline (practice squad or IR?) Both quarterbacks opened their first offensive series with pick-sixes that made it an easy night for the Packers. Dobbs was the more patient and composed of the two, however, finding opportunities to hit receivers and utilize the scramble for necessary first downs when pressured. After this game, Dobbs looks like the better option, but how do the Steelers justify overlooking a first-round pick in Rudolph? It just might come down to the last two preseason games to make a final determination.
Based on what you've seen so far, #SteelersNation – Dobbs or Rudolph?
— Christina Rivers (@3Rivers_Writer) August 17, 2018
This game has made the question of whether or not the Steelers need to keep 4 QBs pertinent. You can't give up on Mason (they won't) but Dobbs has shown tremendous growth. #WhoShouldStayAndWhoShouldGo?
— Brian E. Roach (SCU) #TheRefsStink #GAM (@CannonsDontThun) August 17, 2018
Oh, the defense!?
Before every yinzer lights the corner bar on fire due to a poor defensive performance in a frenzy of overreaction, let’s look at the situation the Steelers faced. The Packers chose to trot out their first-teamers while the Steelers had already determined this would be an evaluation of depth talent. Saying that, however, Pittsburgh displayed a trend that has annoyed fans for a while now: a total lack of competitive tackling. Fundamental tackle football. It was absent for the majority of the game and that really is inexcusable from any players on a pro roster, preseason or not. They’ve got to clean this up unless the Steelers plan on putting up at least 50 points of offense every single game during the 2018 NFL regular season. Seriously.
James Washington is the real deal
The rookie receiver stole the show for the Steelers offense on Thursday night. In combat situations, James Washington went to the ball and was rewarded with two touchdown completions. The fact that the Steelers are deep in receiver talent is actually a huge positive considering there have to be some major concerns about the defensive side of the ball following this game.
https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1030276510295318529
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1030289486637293568
Final thoughts
Any doubts that James Conner can be the Steelers’ primary rusher should have been put to bed. Trailing early in the first half, Conner had three great rushes and sealed the drive with a touchdown. He showed good patience and made several Packers defenders miss their tackles. After Conner exited, Jaylen Samuels got his own rushing touchdown offering a good look at what the Steelers may do by committee in the offensive backfield. Le’Veon who?
https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1030301145435176960
Terrell Edmunds showed some swagger on a kickoff by stipping the ball from Ty Montgomery and recovering it. His heads-up play set up a Rudolph-to-JuJu Smith-Schuster touchdown pass that was preceded by an excellent block by Fitzgerald Toussaint on a blitzing Packers linebacker to allow Rudolph to hit tight end Jesse James. Edmunds’ hustle was something the entire defense could have used with more consistency. L.J. Fort and Javon Hargrave both had a couple really nice plays pressuring the Packers quarterback as well.
L.J. FORT! BOOM! pic.twitter.com/NwRZfk9itc
— Brian E. Roach (SCU) #TheRefsStink #GAM (@CannonsDontThun) August 17, 2018
Subtract the two pick-sixes in the game and add a defense with a stiffer upper lip and the Steelers could have kept this game closer than the score indicated. Mistakes kill drives. Mistakes added to more mistakes kills a game. The Steelers need to focus on killing those mistakes in their final two preseason games if they hope to enter the regular season with any momentum.
The good news? The starters remain healthy (even Ben Roethlisberger cleared concussion protocols from a hit during final practices).
#LIVE: Postgame press conferences following tonight's preseason matchup vs. the Packers. https://t.co/DSiPgXMd2Q
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 17, 2018
