Preseason Week 3: vs. TEN

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Well last week was a bit of a shit show on defense, so I'm hoping to see some sort of redemption this week. TEN has a solid offense but nothing spectacular.

Just as a reminder of the new caveat for roster cut-downs. The NFL owners voted to eliminate the 1st wave of cuts last offseason. So there is only 1 cut-down AFTER the final preseason game. The exact date & time for final rosters to be submitted is Sept 1st by 4pm ET. Last preseason game is the 30th, which gives them roughly 1.5 days to trim their roster.




Probably will get some sort of confirmation today after practice concludes.

OFFENSE... Don't think we'll see more than 1-2 series from Ben & Co. But the formula is the same. I'm hoping to see both Washington & Patterson take some 1st team reps with Ben. Because that is likely what we are going to see week 1, working along-side AB & JuJu. Those guys are going to have to learn quickly about refining their game when working with Ben. Excited to see what both can do. Would love to see Ridley & Franklin get the bulk of the load after the 1st team. No need to keep Conner in there as he isn't battling for a spot.

DEFENSE... We may finally get our first look at Watt & Dupree on the field together, in combination with Tuitt & Heyward. May even get to see Davis & Haden in the secondary. If there was ever a time to come out with a strong performance to hush all the doubters, this is it. Low-key battles between Ola & Huguenin, B Allen/Phillips/Sens, and McCullers & Frazier are going to be things to keep an eye on in the 2nd half of the game.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Well last week was a bit of a shit show on defense, so I'm hoping to see some sort of redemption this week. TEN has a solid offense but nothing spectacular.

Just as a reminder of the new caveat for roster cut-downs. The NFL owners voted to eliminate the 1st wave of cuts last offseason. So there is only 1 cut-down AFTER the final preseason game. The exact date & time for final rosters to be submitted is Sept 1st by 4pm ET. Last preseason game is the 30th, which gives them roughly 1.5 days to trim their roster.




Probably will get some sort of confirmation today after practice concludes.

OFFENSE... Don't think we'll see more than 1-2 series from Ben & Co. But the formula is the same. I'm hoping to see both Washington & Patterson take some 1st team reps with Ben. Because that is likely what we are going to see week 1, working along-side AB & JuJu. Those guys are going to have to learn quickly about refining their game when working with Ben. Excited to see what both can do. Would love to see Ridley & Franklin get the bulk of the load after the 1st team. No need to keep Conner in there as he isn't battling for a spot.

DEFENSE... We may finally get our first look at Watt & Dupree on the field together, in combination with Tuitt & Heyward. May even get to see Davis & Haden in the secondary. If there was ever a time to come out with a strong performance to hush all the doubters, this is it. Low-key battles between Ola & Huguenin, B Allen/Phillips/Sens, and McCullers & Frazier are going to be things to keep an eye on in the 2nd half of the game.

Admittedly, I haven't paid much attention to the PS games, but I have watched some highlights, both the good and the bad....the 3rd game used to be a dry run for the starters by most teams, but like you said, maybe we see Ben & co for a series or two.

I'm hopeful that Washington is in sync with Ben come week one...not so much worried about AB or Juju. I think Patterson is going to make this team...he should get a few reps with Ben.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Going to try something different this week...

WINNERS:

• Ben Roethlisberger... Aside from a few errant throws Ben looked on point. Good zip on the ball & great mobility. Didn't get a good chance to connect with Washington, but the few passes that went his way weren't good balls. 1 looked like Ben just threw it away out of double-coverage on the rookie. As an aside, I think the Titans secondary is for real. Not too many easy passes for Ben yesterday, but he made the most out of it as any franchise QB would.
• D-Line... Man what a difference a healthy Tuitt makes. Just when I thought he was "mailing it in" this preseason he shows up big time. He, Heyward, & everyone else were harassing the QB with ease.
• Vince Williams... Cashes in a contract, then cashes in a big game. May not have shown up in the stat sheet, but this man was flyin around the field yesterday.
• Burns & Haden... Quiet day for TEN's passing offense is good news for any DB. But Burns & Haden looked sticky out there. Numerous coverage sacks.
• Terrell Edmunds... Great to see this rook gel with the starters. He looks like he's starting to "get it" out there. Loved the pre-snap communication with Davis.
• Jon Bostic... Much much better game from him. He looked much more aware of the field when sitting in zones, and he was flying to ball & plugging holes with authority in rush defense. Need to see this version of Bostic more often.
• Mathew Thomas... Butler got a good long look at Thomas yesterday. They put him in on specific situations to see how he would handle it, and he showed up. His speed & athleticism really sets him apart. And he's becoming a monster on ST. Honestly would love to see him take Matakevich's spot on the depth chart and relegate Dirty Red to solely ST.
• Jaylen Samuels... Have yourself a night Mr Samuels! Displayed incredible burst & vision when running inside the zone-blocking-schemes. A slew of bad holds from WRs & O-lineman negated a long TD run & a few other good plays. But he showed us exactly why the Steelers drafted him. If he can refine his blocking then he'll be a great asset for years to come.
• Chris Boswell... Mr Consistency.
• OLBs... Dupree & Chick looked solid. Ola is a stud. That dude is a brute. There were multiple plays he made that looked very reminiscent of Harrison out there. 1 play he shed the TE by tossing him aside & making a picture-perfect tackle. And another late in the game he displayed great hand technique by ripping the LT and getting the sack. Ola looked frickin exhausted after that sack though, so his conditioning is limited. But that is the reality for most rookies. I sure hope he sticks around. Adams & Huguenin looked solid as well, so the battle is still very much alive. Really tough to separate this group right now.

LOSERS:

• Landry Jones... That drive-killing botched snap was completely on Landry. It did come in high & hot, but it bounced right off the moron's hands. But what angered me the most was the 2-min drill before the half. For a vet QB to run the offense like that with very little time on the clock was embarrassing. He was constantly looking inside at checkdown/dump-off passes instead of out-routes to kill the clock. He may know the playbook better than the rest of the depth, but he still doesn't know how to properly execute it. What was even more maddening was that the announcers said they were trotting Rudolph out there to run the 2-min drill, but then Tomlin had a change of heart and put Landry in. Yep, you got exactly what you deserved on that drive Tomlin. Rolling out a dipshit backup with nothing to prove, and coming away with nothing but frustration. Good call.
• Brian Allen... Just a bad game overall. Not only did he blow his assignments, but Blaine Gabbert abused him. Not a good look from him yesterday. And Coty Sensabaugh is constantly showing up well this preseason. I think Allen is headed towards cuts-ville.
• Marcus Allen... Correct me if I'm wrong, but the TEN TD that got called back was a complete failure on his part. Brian Allen was the doofus in zone coverage that fell over, but it was Marcus that came flying in to make the tackle on what looked like a blind-man-needing-a-seeing-eye-dog type of angle. They were incredibly lucky that WR stepped out of bounds and the play was reversed. Shame on both Allens on this play. That was embarrassing. He sort redeemed himself on the INT of 3rd string QB Luke Falk, but that was an easy Hail-Mary INT for any safety to make. Doing what you're supposed to is hardly a redeeming quality when playing with the last-string.

MIXED:

• James Conner... Showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield & on WR-routes, but looked limited after the catch. Lacked vision, and was clearly frustrated with himself on numerous plays when he realized he made the wrong cut. He got tackled regularly when it looked like he was poised to break something big. Showed his physicality & burst though.
• O-line... They handled their business with ease in pass-pro, but were pretty inconsisent in the running game. That was a good defensive front, but they were without Jurrell Casey. They should have been able to move the chains better. Also saw a few screen passes that failed to pickup much yardage. DeCastro & Feiler (I think) failed to block 1 dude which could have sprung Conner for an extra 10-15yds. On the plus side I liked what I saw from Finney & Feiler after the starters got pulled. But we already knew they were capable starters.
• JuJu Smith-Schuster... Couple of great catches combined with a couple of terrible drops in open space. He needs to get better. But I'm not worried yet. Adoree Jackson appeared to have bested him in the 1-on-1 battle.
• Justin Hunter... Beautiful grab for the TD, but then follows that up with a couple of horrible dropped passes. 1 that ended up getting taken away from him for an INT. These are the inconsistencies that have haunted his entire career.
• Mason Rudolph... Rebounded after a dismal GB game. He played well against TEN, but the offense struggled with penalties which wasn't necessarily his fault. But when they clearly couldn't get it together after 3-4 penalties in a row, that falls on the leader of the huddle. Showed well in his mechanics though. Good pocket posie & patience stepping through & up, also showed good toughness & mobility. He would excel behind the starting O-line. Hopefully he gets the majority of the 1st half in the next game.

• Chuks Okorafor... Got recognized on national TV for all the wrong reasons. Holding in the RZ penalty was a big mistake. But he redeemed himself with solid play on the drives afterwards. Pretty sure I even saw him pull from the RT spot on a counter play. Thing of beauty seein a big man like that able to cross the line and fill a 3 or 5 gap. That sort of athleticism is what Munchak covets in his lineman.
• RJ Prince... Same story as Chuks. Tantalizing athleticism, but penalized. Has the look of another solid depth piece.
• Dirty Red... He just simply does not look good at ILB. Not even close to the player he was last season. Something seems amiss. But he constantly shows up as a baller on ST, so there's that. But he lost his starting spot to Bostic after 1 preseason game, and now looks to be losing out to guys like Thomas & Fort. He looks very expendable at this point.

OVERALL:
Nice overall effort from both sides of the ball. Great to see a better showing from the defense. They were shutting down the Titans with ease and displaying much better cohesion. It was a great showing that proved the starters are ready for the opener.



INJURIES:

• Jesse James (back)... Contusion in the back. Happened when the DB submarined him in midair in the 2nd qtr. He should be fine.
• James Washington (abdominal)... Pulled muscle, should be ok. But may not play next week.
• Marcus Tucker (ankle)... Tough break for a roster hopeful. Looked painful too, and he was clearly upset.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Forgot to put Jordan Berry in my losers list... 1 punt he outkicked the coverage team and gave them a good return, and then another he booted out of bounds. 41yd average. He made Matt Wile look good lol.

I really hope a punter gets signed before week 1.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Going to try something different this week...

WINNERS:

• Ben Roethlisberger... Aside from a few errant throws Ben looked on point. Good zip on the ball & great mobility. Didn't get a good chance to connect with Washington, but the few passes that went his way weren't good balls. 1 looked like Ben just threw it away out of double-coverage on the rookie. As an aside, I think the Titans secondary is for real. Not too many easy passes for Ben yesterday, but he made the most out of it as any franchise QB would.
• D-Line... Man what a difference a healthy Tuitt makes. Just when I thought he was "mailing it in" this preseason he shows up big time. He, Heyward, & everyone else were harassing the QB with ease.
• Vince Williams... Cashes in a contract, then cashes in a big game. May not have shown up in the stat sheet, but this man was flyin around the field yesterday.
• Burns & Haden... Quiet day for TEN's passing offense is good news for any DB. But Burns & Haden looked sticky out there. Numerous coverage sacks.
• Terrell Edmunds... Great to see this rook gel with the starters. He looks like he's starting to "get it" out there. Loved the pre-snap communication with Davis.
• Jon Bostic... Much much better game from him. He looked much more aware of the field when sitting in zones, and he was flying to ball & plugging holes with authority in rush defense. Need to see this version of Bostic more often.
• Mathew Thomas... Butler got a good long look at Thomas yesterday. They put him in on specific situations to see how he would handle it, and he showed up. His speed & athleticism really sets him apart. And he's becoming a monster on ST. Honestly would love to see him take Matakevich's spot on the depth chart and relegate Dirty Red to solely ST.
• Jaylen Samuels... Have yourself a night Mr Samuels! Displayed incredible burst & vision when running inside the zone-blocking-schemes. A slew of bad holds from WRs & O-lineman negated a long TD run & a few other good plays. But he showed us exactly why the Steelers drafted him. If he can refine his blocking then he'll be a great asset for years to come.
• Chris Boswell... Mr Consistency.
• OLBs... Dupree & Chick looked solid. Ola is a stud. That dude is a brute. There were multiple plays he made that looked very reminiscent of Harrison out there. 1 play he shed the TE by tossing him aside & making a picture-perfect tackle. And another late in the game he displayed great hand technique by ripping the LT and getting the sack. Ola looked frickin exhausted after that sack though, so his conditioning is limited. But that is the reality for most rookies. I sure hope he sticks around. Adams & Huguenin looked solid as well, so the battle is still very much alive. Really tough to separate this group right now.

LOSERS:

• Landry Jones... That drive-killing botched snap was completely on Landry. It did come in high & hot, but it bounced right off the moron's hands. But what angered me the most was the 2-min drill before the half. For a vet QB to run the offense like that with very little time on the clock was embarrassing. He was constantly looking inside at checkdown/dump-off passes instead of out-routes to kill the clock. He may know the playbook better than the rest of the depth, but he still doesn't know how to properly execute it. What was even more maddening was that the announcers said they were trotting Rudolph out there to run the 2-min drill, but then Tomlin had a change of heart and put Landry in. Yep, you got exactly what you deserved on that drive Tomlin. Rolling out a dipshit backup with nothing to prove, and coming away with nothing but frustration. Good call.
• Brian Allen... Just a bad game overall. Not only did he blow his assignments, but Blaine Gabbert abused him. Not a good look from him yesterday. And Coty Sensabaugh is constantly showing up well this preseason. I think Allen is headed towards cuts-ville.
• Marcus Allen... Correct me if I'm wrong, but the TEN TD that got called back was a complete failure on his part. Brian Allen was the doofus in zone coverage that fell over, but it was Marcus that came flying in to make the tackle on what looked like a blind-man-needing-a-seeing-eye-dog type of angle. They were incredibly lucky that WR stepped out of bounds and the play was reversed. Shame on both Allens on this play. That was embarrassing. He sort redeemed himself on the INT of 3rd string QB Luke Falk, but that was an easy Hail-Mary INT for any safety to make. Doing what you're supposed to is hardly a redeeming quality when playing with the last-string.

MIXED:

• James Conner... Showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield & on WR-routes, but looked limited after the catch. Lacked vision, and was clearly frustrated with himself on numerous plays when he realized he made the wrong cut. He got tackled regularly when it looked like he was poised to break something big. Showed his physicality & burst though.
• O-line... They handled their business with ease in pass-pro, but were pretty inconsisent in the running game. That was a good defensive front, but they were without Jurrell Casey. They should have been able to move the chains better. Also saw a few screen passes that failed to pickup much yardage. DeCastro & Feiler (I think) failed to block 1 dude which could have sprung Conner for an extra 10-15yds. On the plus side I liked what I saw from Finney & Feiler after the starters got pulled. But we already knew they were capable starters.
• JuJu Smith-Schuster... Couple of great catches combined with a couple of terrible drops in open space. He needs to get better. But I'm not worried yet. Adoree Jackson appeared to have bested him in the 1-on-1 battle.
• Justin Hunter... Beautiful grab for the TD, but then follows that up with a couple of horrible dropped passes. 1 that ended up getting taken away from him for an INT. These are the inconsistencies that have haunted his entire career.
• Mason Rudolph... Rebounded after a dismal GB game. He played well against TEN, but the offense struggled with penalties which wasn't necessarily his fault. But when they clearly couldn't get it together after 3-4 penalties in a row, that falls on the leader of the huddle. Showed well in his mechanics though. Good pocket posie & patience stepping through & up, also showed good toughness & mobility. He would excel behind the starting O-line. Hopefully he gets the majority of the 1st half in the next game.

• Chuks Okorafor... Got recognized on national TV for all the wrong reasons. Holding in the RZ penalty was a big mistake. But he redeemed himself with solid play on the drives afterwards. Pretty sure I even saw him pull from the RT spot on a counter play. Thing of beauty seein a big man like that able to cross the line and fill a 3 or 5 gap. That sort of athleticism is what Munchak covets in his lineman.
• RJ Prince... Same story as Chuks. Tantalizing athleticism, but penalized. Has the look of another solid depth piece.
• Dirty Red... He just simply does not look good at ILB. Not even close to the player he was last season. Something seems amiss. But he constantly shows up as a baller on ST, so there's that. But he lost his starting spot to Bostic after 1 preseason game, and now looks to be losing out to guys like Thomas & Fort. He looks very expendable at this point.

OVERALL:
Nice overall effort from both sides of the ball. Great to see a better showing from the defense. They were shutting down the Titans with ease and displaying much better cohesion. It was a great showing that proved the starters are ready for the opener.



INJURIES:

• Jesse James (back)... Contusion in the back. Happened when the DB submarined him in midair in the 2nd qtr. He should be fine.
• James Washington (abdominal)... Pulled muscle, should be ok. But may not play next week.
• Marcus Tucker (ankle)... Tough break for a roster hopeful. Looked painful too, and he was clearly upset.

Thanks!

Great work per norm Face!...in midseason form damn near.

I didn't see this game, but did see some highlights...Patterson...in you think? Adeniyi? Kid keeps making plays.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Thanks!

Great work per norm Face!...in midseason form damn near.

I didn't see this game, but did see some highlights...Patterson...in you think? Adeniyi? Kid keeps making plays.

Patterson was really quiet yesterday. He lined up outside numerous times but I only recall him getting 1 target when working with Rudolph in the 2nd half? Surprisingly Griffey got some work with the 1st team offense and he got 2 targets from Ben. Both were underneath routes. 1 of which he caught, and another looked like a botched route. Starting 3 WRs yesterday were Juju, DHB & Washington... With sprinkles of Hunter, Griffey & Patterson. Not sure what to make of the sudden personnel shakeup, but I still like Patterson's chances.

Adeniyi looks solid. But so does Keion Adams & Huguenin. Just too difficult to separate any of the OLBs right now. Next week's game will be crucial for that group. As far as pass-rushing abilities go, I think I like Adeniyi the best, followed by Adams, then Huguenin. As far as run-support abilities... Adeniyi is once again the best out of the group. I'd love it if they went Watt, Dupree, Chick, Adams & Adeniyi. But I have a hard time believing they'll keep 5 when so many ILBs are making stellar contributions on ST (Red, Fort & Thomas). I've been toying with the idea of dropping one of the safeties off my 53 projection. May even give up the 6th WR spot. Tough call!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Here's one of the plays I mentioned in my report-card/recap of the OLB's (Ola)


Then here's the rip sack


@ATL96Steeler

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Nasty move by Tuitt... I don't think Lewan was expecting him to be able to move that quickly lol


This was the 1st play for the defense in which Tuitt wrecked their pass pro

 

[Yo Tee]

Landry Jones... That drive-killing botched snap was completely on Landry. It did come in high & hot, but it bounced right off the moron's hands. But what angered me the most was the 2-min drill before the half. For a vet QB to run the offense like that with very little time on the clock was embarrassing. He was constantly looking inside at checkdown/dump-off passes instead of out-routes to kill the clock. He may know the playbook better than the rest of the depth, but he still doesn't know how to properly execute it. What was even more maddening was that the announcers said they were trotting Rudolph out there to run the 2-min drill, but then Tomlin had a change of heart and put Landry in. Yep, you got exactly what you deserved on that drive Tomlin. Rolling out a dipshit backup with nothing to prove, and coming away with nothing but frustration. Good call.

This is why I don't have a problem with us drafting Mason Rudolph. A vet of 5 years should be able to run a 2 minute drill much better than that and especially during the preseason.

James Conner... Showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield & on WR-routes, but looked limited after the catch. Lacked vision, and was clearly frustrated with himself on numerous plays when he realized he made the wrong cut. He got tackled regularly when it looked like he was poised to break something big. Showed his physicality & burst though.

This is why I was so adamant in wanting to sign Le'Veon Bell despite his social media BS. I'm thinking we should breed Jaylen Samuels to takeover instead of Conner. He's showing a lot more promise than Conner and Samuels hasn't had to worry about injuries in his college career, while Conner has had multiples knee injuries in recent years.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

This is why I don't have a problem with us drafting Mason Rudolph. A vet of 5 years should be able to run a 2 minute drill much better than that and especially during the preseason.

Agreed. Shame on Landry & Tomlin. That was pathetic. They should have given that series to Rudolph.

This is why I was so adamant in wanting to sign Le'Veon Bell despite his social media BS. I'm thinking we should breed Jaylen Samuels to takeover instead of Conner. He's showing a lot more promise than Conner and Samuels hasn't had to worry about injuries in his college career, while Conner has had multiples knee injuries in recent years.

Samuels does look like the more fluid runner, but he lacks physicality. If he can put in the work this season & next offseason then he could certainly be a contender for the role. But I think it will be Conner's job to lose. It's only the preseason so I'm not going to overreact, but I have seen better vision & running abilities from Conner before. I have faith that he will perform better when the games count.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Here's one of the plays I mentioned in my report-card/recap of the OLB's (Ola)


Then here's the rip sack


@ATL96Steeler

Yep...I saw these two plays in the highlights..this kid just keeps showing up. The technique on keeping his outside leverage forced the play inside. Then shedding the TE block and making the tackle. Both were textbook. They have to find a spot for him, Adams and Thomas.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Yep...I saw these two plays in the highlights..this kid just keeps showing up. The technique on keeping his outside leverage forced the play inside. Then shedding the TE block and making the tackle. Both were textbook. They have to find a spot for him, Adams and Thomas.

Yea I don't see how they would get away with keeping any of those guys on the PS. They just need to take the risk & keep the talent on-board at the expense of someone else with a smaller ceiling, even if they are more experienced.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yea I don't see how they would get away with keeping any of those guys on the PS. They just need to take the risk & keep the talent on-board at the expense of someone else with a smaller ceiling, even if they are more experienced.

Yep...They're improving the LB talent with some lower draft picks...as you mentioned fringe guys a few yrs under their belts like Dirty Red and Fort must make their ST play stand tall. Or else guys like Kelsey, Thomas, and Huguenin will be pushing for their slots on the 53.

With the TE and S headcount heading towards 7 combined, I think they will likely carry 10 LBs and 6 CBs.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[Psych-Ward]

@FaCe-LeE-uS

I think you and I will agree one BIG disappointment has been Chick.....
For all the hype, it's time for him to pack it in.....whatcha think????

Conner, I think the more reps he gets with the first squad he'll catch on more and more....he still looking like a rookie but I think he'll come around.

Tomlin and Dirty Laundry.....it's like I said, no one can explain the love affair between these two, it's as Fuckin disgusting as the milk mustaches and the smell of cock on the both of their breath.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

@FaCe-LeE-uS

I think you and I will agree one BIG disappointment has been Chick.....
For all the hype, it's time for him to pack it in.....whatcha think????

Conner, I think the more reps he gets with the first squad he'll catch on more and more....he still looking like a rookie but I think he'll come around.

Tomlin and Dirty Laundry.....it's like I said, no one can explain the love affair between these two, it's as Fuckin disgusting as the milk mustaches and the smell of cock on the both of their breath.

Chick has been more quiet than in recent years, but his play is still that of a depth piece. Which sadly has become the reality of his ceiling. He's a serviceable player but he'll never be a star. Good to have around for depth when Dupree gets injured again lol.

 

[Psych-Ward]

Chick has been more quiet than in recent years, but his play is still that of a depth piece. Which sadly has become the reality of his ceiling. He's a serviceable player but he'll never be a star. Good to have around for depth when Dupree gets injured again lol.

Really, you think they hang onto him????

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Really, you think they hang onto him????

Without question. It's an incredibly thin position when you consider experience. Dupree & Watt don't have too many starts to their names, and everybody else is an up-and-comer. Chick falls between those lines, but at least he's proven to be capable. That's the sort of insurance they can't afford to lose at that position. Say they do get rid of Chick, Dupree goes down then who comes in to replace him? A 7th Rd pick or UDFA walk-on that look good in preseason action against scrubs? Doesn't inspire much confidence.

But there is something to say about them toying with Vince Williams on the outside.