The wait is finally over, Steeler Nation! The preseason is here and that means football is within reach. Friday night lights, college Saturdays, and gridiron Sundays! The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Fame Game. Both teams are the only teams in the league with four preseason games in the new scheduling format kicking off this year.
The Steelers come into the 2021 season with a lot of changes following a dreadful December and January for the 2020 season. Among these changes, the Steelers lost running back James Conner, multiple offensive linemen, and a few key defensive pieces. However, the Steelers don’t rebuild—they reload. Tonight we’ll see some new pieces on the field including new/returning offensive linemen and the first round pick, Najee Harris. To what degree we see our projected starters remains to be seen.
Among these sightings, there are 3 position battles Steeler Nation will be eager to see unfold. These battles will likely last throughout the preseason and lead to opportunities for those involved. Here are my 3 position battles to watch in game 1 vs the Cowboys:
1. Inside Linebacker 3
This battle will be one to watch as Ulysees Gilbert III, Buddy Johnson, and Marcus Allen will all be vying for playing time this year, and maybe even a roster position. Johnson has been impressive thus far in camp and will have plenty of opportunities this preseason. UGIII comes off of his second consecutive season-ending injury (back); leaving much ground to cover. Allen remains the most intriguing prospect of these three. Allen converted from a safety into a hybrid safety/linebacker. In his opportunities last year, he did a solid job all things considered. All 3 of these guys will have the opportunity to show Steeler Nation what they've got!
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2. Cornerback/Nickel
This is probably the most intriguing battle. The Steelers have plenty of guys who can play the nickel role—it’s just a matter of how well they can do it. The biggest factor though is a guy who has been rising in ranks: James Pierre. An undrafted free agent in 2020 out of Florida Atlantic, Pierre has been doing very well in training camp and is certainly building off of his momentum from last season; jumping over Justin Layne for playing time most notably. If his play is lights out tonight and the rest of preseason, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler may need to seriously consider using him on the outside and sliding Cameron Sutton into the slot on sub-packages.
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QB3…QB2?
Mason Rudolph will get the nod to lead this game off tonight. Make no mistake though, he has some pressure on him to perform. While Dwayne Haskins and Josh Dobbs are battling for the QB3 spot currently, Haskins not only made it clear he is trying to compete for QB2, but the future franchise quarterback as well -- and the impression in training camp has been a positive one so far. While ultimately as of now Rudolph is the 2 and the 3 is to be determined, don’t be surprised to see tonight’s play results lead into solidification of that pecking order… or changes to it.
What else will yinz be watching for tonight? Sound off in the comment section below!
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