I’m going to start this article by getting one thing across early: last night’s game was an ugly display, and Landry Jones is a backup QB.

Not Ben Roethlisberger‘s successor: a backup. Nothing more.

When a backup goes out against some first string defenders, while also playing with reserve players, expectations should be set low. While Darrius Heyward-Bey has oodles of starting experience in the NFL, the other receivers Landry Jones was throwing to, such as Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers, and Cobi Hamilton, do not.

Hamilton is a career practice squad player, having bounced between 5 teams, 6 times, in his 4th NFL season (Hamilton entered the league as a sixth round draft pick with the Cincinatti Bengals in 2013.)

Eli Rogers is an undrafted free agent out of Louisville, who was in the Steelers training camp last season, but suffered injuries which sidelined him for the preseason.

And we all know the story on Sammie Coates, last year’s third round selection by the Steelers, who sat nearly the entire year, and is getting his first real taste of action this August.

Missing in action during the first two preseason games are receiving staples Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton, as well as prized free agent tight end Ladarius Green (who may or may not play at all, depending on which report you read or listen to.) This is where I draw the line when trying to make a comparison with someone like the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, who benefitted from having Dez Bryant in the starting lineup last season. In my (humble) opinion, if Landry Jones has Antonio Brown on the field, he too would look a lot better.

That still doesn’t make excuses for some of the plays, but we have to look past Jones if we’re going to start the blame game, something which head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t quick to pin on any particular individual’s shoulders:

“Some of it was good plays by them and some of it was negligence by us…

Whether its route running or throwing, I understand that it falls under his stat line, but those are unit plays. Sometimes, you have to acknowledge that the opponent makes a quality play or two.

The bottom line is that us as a unit or team has got to do a better job of securing the football.”

This is where I sat on my couch last night and objectively yelled when Heyward-Bey missed a well-placed deep pass between the 8’s on his jersey, in the game’s first play.

Not Landry Jones’ fault… and yes, he can share the blame on these turnovers, but let’s analyze each of the 4 interceptions that Landry threw, and where they went wrong.

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The first interception was a timing route with a lot of complicated moving pieces. First, Jones never looks off of Coates the entire time. It was fairly obvious (and even predicted in our preview podcast) that Pittsburgh would get Coates involved early, in this game. If we knew it, the Eagles knew it too: Nolan Carroll jumps the route, en route to 38-yard interception returned for a touchdown.

Aside from Landry telegraphing the play, the timing route is designed for Coates to turn with the ball already there. The timing could be off, but I also question Coates’ turning to the ball: he doesn’t play to the ball (which could help break up the pass, and allow the Steelers to maintain possession.) His turn outside also allows Carroll the space and position to jump the route: had Coates turned inside, placing his back toward the DB, he makes himself bigger while also shielding the defender. Granted, that sort of pivot may be harder to execute, but it beats the alternative of only having your hands out there… and giving up a pick-six.

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This is another tough pill to swallow. Landry Jones has made the corner fade route his bread and butter, having executed the play multiple times throughout preseason and regular season games. We saw a similar play in the back corner of the endzone with DHB a week earlier; this week Jones tries to connect with Cobi Hamilton, who is practically the same size as Heyward-Bey.

This pass appears high enough to beat a defender (who by the way, is drapped all over Cobi well over the 5-yards permitted… and never looks back to the ball.) Cobi tries to make a play on the pass, but it instead falls into the waiting arms of a “right place, right time” Malcolm Jenkins.

You’re not always going to get the call, but I do feel Landry has been smart in finding receivers getting abused (particularly DHB) in the preseason, drawing penalties and a new set of downs for the Steelers. This is smart football, and I believe he’s looking for the same here: if not for the tip drill, and positioning of Jenkins, the worst case scenario is that Pittsburgh probably kicks a field goal here, if the flag stays in the official’s pocket.

Perhaps this was on Jones’ mind, and the execution didn’t work as planned…

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In the first turnover I had brought up Coates’ physicality and aggressiveness. We see a lack of that here, but in-between these plays, Coates was called for an offensive pass interference play, more than likely after being told he had to be more aggressive.

Then he gets his hands slapped by the zebras and reverts to getting bumped off of, and giving up on this play, which too turns into another redzone turnover for the Steelers.

Jones puts the ball to the outside, and all Coates has to do is work for it. Catch or not, the extra effort prevents a turnover (unless of course, there’s another tip drill!)

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If we’re handing out mulligans, this is the one that’s truly deserved for the evening.

In this clip, 2nd-year defensive end Steven Means sheds a poorly attempted block by tight end Jesse James (top of the screen) coming off of the edge and smashing Landry Jones from his throwing arm side just as the QB is releasing the ball. The result is a lame-duck throw that’s up for grabs, resulting in Jones’ fourth interception of the evening.

If Jones saw the rush coming, he may have protected the ball and taken the sack, but it’s clear he wasn’t expecting pressure with the additional help on the strong side.

The video also shows that James has to do a better job of blocking, as Jones took a sack against the Lions a week earlier, when James also missed an assigned block.

For as much criticism I’ve written about Jones and Coates, I do want to commend them on this hookup in the 2nd quarter:

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Jones senses the pressure coming, and after standing tall in the pocket, escapes and connects with Coates, who makes an incredible toe-tap catch. The ball was placed only where Coates (who came back to the ball) could get to it. Credit is deserved where it’s due, and sometimes we have to make sure we pet the dog instead of scold it all of the time: the play was originally ruled incomplete, but Mike Tomlin challenged, and upon review, it was overturned to a complete catch.

Kudos to Coach Tomlin for instilling some confidence in two young men who have had a rough start to the preseason. Thinking objectively, and trying to evaluate individual performances based on team participation, might help soothe some wounds. In all, this is a learning experience for all involved, and we should be grateful these Steelers are getting to sort this out in games that aren’t on the record.