After having an opportunity to go back and give the Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers another look, several things really stood out. It’s important to note Pittsburgh takes a different philosophy to the preseason than do most NFL teams. They emphasize rest for starters more and dig much deeper into their 90-man roster from the get-go.
Here are some things we learned from this week’s game.
The right tackle position belongs to Matt Feiler
Put me down as someone who thought the position battle between Feiler and Chuks Okorafor would be one of the most hotly contested of training camp. But if one preseason game is any indication, Okorafor still has a long way to go before he’s ready to be a regular starter in the NFL.
Maybe Zach Gentry will be OK
I’ve been a vocal critic of Gentry since the draft but his touchdown catch showed he could have a fit in certain schemes and situations. The problem with Gentry remains run blocking. He doesn’t fit the mold of what the Steelers ask of a tight end as a run blocker but if he can show he can make those contested catches, it might not matter.
Vince Williams could be in trouble
Williams got the week off and the starting inside linebackers were Mark Barron and Devin Bush. We’ve already talked about how good Bush was and him being a starter is a given. But with sub packages and how well Barron played, fitting in snaps for Williams might be a bit more challenging. Williams played around 70 percent of the defensive snaps last year but saw fewer late in the season.
James Washington is taking football seriously
The question with Washington in college always was he was really good at football but was he passionate about playing the game? I think we saw last season, he didn’t really approach his rookie season with the level of passion and commitment it needed. But so far through training camp and the preseason, it seems Washington is finally taking football serious again.
Jaylen Samuels is safe as the backup running back
Don’t misunderstand, we still love the potential of Benny Snell Jr. in this offense. But Samuels, in his second year plays a whole different kind of game. He’s so smooth in the open field and for a 225-pound back, really has the type of agility and quickness you don’t expect. I really look forward to how offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner expands Samuels’ role in this offense.
Joshua Dobbs’ job isn’t safe
Everyone got really excited Friday night when Dobbs broke the pocket and broke off his 36-yard run. But if you are going to be the backup to Ben Roethlisberger, it’s all about the throws you make not your scrambling. And against the Bucs, Mason Rudolph showed much more poise in the pocket, solid progression through their reads and improved zip on his throws.
