Five things we learned about the Steelers this preseason
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered training camp with one of the best offenses in the NFL and question marks abound on defense. Was five preseason games enough to get everything straightened out?
With the regular season set to kick off on Thursday, here are the five most important things we learned from the Steelers' preseason.
1. The defense still has a lot of work to do
Week 3 of the preseason is typically the measuring stick teams use to gauge their starters' performance. Veteran linebacker James Harrison summed up the teams's performance aganst Buffalo, saying the defense looked more like Burger King out on the field because it let the Bills "have it their way." Most of the first team was pulled after one series, a series that began with Fred Jackson's 41-yard run, but the fact that Bills quarterbacks comibined to go 30 of 33 for 395 yards and three touchdowns shows that new defensive coordinator Keith Butler has his work cut out for him.
2. The Steelers were planning ahead
The Steelers knew dating back to the spring that a suspension was likely coming for second-year receiver Martavis Bryant. They drafted Sammie Coates out of Auburn in the third round and kept Markus Wheaton as the No. 2 receiver on the depth chart. Wheaton also got a lot of work in the slot in three-receiver sets, but Coates is behind after showing up to camp in subpar shape, leaving Darrius Heyward-Bey as Bryant's primary replacement.
3. DeAngelo Williams should be able to bridge the gap to Le'Veon Bell
Per Mike Tomlin's request, Williams trimmed down this summer to get to his lightest weight since his rookie season. Now at about 220 pounds, Williams is expected to carry the load with Bell serving a two-game suspension. The nine-year veteran has declined over the last few years in Carolina, but he seemed to have a little more burst this preseason with 63 yards on 13 carries. Don't expect Bell-like production against New England and San Francisco, who boasted two of the better run defenses last season, but Williams should be fine as a two-game stop-gap.
4. Injuries taking a toll, suspensions next?
The Steelers are already on their third kicker of the preseason, and Maurkice Pouncey is likely out until November after breaking his leg. Second-round pick Senquez Golson is also lost for the year, as is backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. The two projected starting safeties have barely seen any snaps together, as Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas have both missed time due to various ailments. Ben Roethlisberger will start the season without his two best weapons not named Antonio Brown, which has Pittsburgh behind the eight ball right out of the gate.
5. Doomed by slow starts
Speaking of starting gates, Tomlin chastised his team for coming out flat after getting run over in Buffalo last week. He's hoping that it doesn't carry over into the regular season, but the absences on offense and the leaky defense might be too much to overcome the first few weeks — playing the reigning Super Bowl-champion Patriots on their field won't make it any easier. In what is expected to be a hotly contested AFC North, anything worse than 2-2 in the first month of the season could doom the Steelers' postseason chances.
