As the 2021 NFL preseason comes to a close, the Pittsburgh Steelers now face the future with challenges ahead. Not only will the Buffalo Bills be a tough opponent come Week 1, but some tough decisions to cut down to the 53-man roster will also have to occur. The preseason certainly had some highs and lows. Performances by Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins were overall solid, flashes of good play by the offensive line were there, and even some players turning back the clock to make big plays.
On the flip side, there was plenty of concern. The inside linebacker play was addressed via trade—time will tell how that pays off. The offensive line had some rough moments, some poor plays on special teams, and a lack of a concrete answer at nickel corner are just a few.
With a lot of good, some concerns, and questions left to be answered… here are three takeaways of mine from watching the 2021 Steelers preseason.
1. The O-Line is Hot and Cold
The offensive line was a huge question mark going into the season. It is completely revamped and filled with fresh faces, especially young, raw talent. New offensive line coach, Adrian Klemm is taking on the task of making a more physical, dominant group. We have seen some mixed results.
The numbers aside, the run game is either going to rip off a 6-17 yard run or lose 3 (or no gain). There hasn’t been much in between. Zach Banner has had limited time and Chukwuma Okorafor has been less than stellar. That alone creates concern. However, Kevin Dotson and Dan Moore Jr. have been the preseason stars and Kendrick Green is showing that physical play and athleticism we expected. There’s absolutely no telling where this group will go this year. It helps, however, to have an 18-year veteran at quarterback and a first round talent at running back. We may see some sloppy play a good bit… but we will also see some edge from this group.
The preseason doesn’t indicate that this group is a finished product. Now the real game planning, specific tuning, and overall work will be ramped up. Preseason and training camp is a time for evaluation. The Steelers got some good information on these guys. It’s up to Matt Canada and Adrian Klemm to scheme, coach, and will these guys to their maximum potential.
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2. The secondary will make or break the defense
There have certainly been some things to like out of this unit. James Pierre has been a guy on the rise and may have shown he is too talented to keep off the field in the nickel. Cameron Sutton certainly had some moments that made you take a deep breath, but his versatility and skill are still undeniable. And Joe Haden is still playing like the Joe Haden we expect to see this season.
However, behind those three, there is a lot of uncertainty. Antoine Brooks is done for the year, Arthur Maulet is injured as well, and Justin Layne has been warm and cold in his play in the secondary. The Steelers have an incredible front seven and will certainly boost this secondary. Even then, is this secondary good enough to hold up the back end consistently?
I believe they can be. James Pierre, Cameron Sutton, and Joe Haden can be a good set in the nickel. It’s the depth behind that concerns me. That’s not even to mention the depth concerns behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. There wasn’t a ton to be excited about there. This group’s health and depth could be what makes or breaks this defense.
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3. The QB Depth is favorable
Yeah, yeah. Save me your anti-Mason Rudolph or anti-Dwayne Haskins rhetoric. Do you know how many starts were made by the backups going into 2019? Zero. How about last year’s active roster going into 2020? Eight (all by one guy). Now? The Steelers have a familiar guy and a former first round pick combining for 22 starts heading into this season.
Yes, there is a clear difference in approach, confidence, and play compared to Ben Roethlisberger. Ben Roethlisberger is a GENERATIONAL TALENT entering his 18TH year. Of course, there was going to be a difference. In today’s NFL, we expect young quarterbacks to be ready to go on day one. We have been spoiled by Big Ben’s career starting his rookie season. We should appreciate him tremendously. We should also understand Rudolph and Haskins can’t be expected to replicate his level of play.
Right now they are what we need them to be: backup quarterbacks. If Ben retires and they are battling over the starting job in the future, then we can open a new page of discussion. However, we should be comfortable with our backups being what they currently are: backups. They both had some good, bad, and steady performances at times this preseason. The bottom line is, we are better off with Haskins and Rudolph on the depth chart than what we have observed since Charlie Batch retired.
With the 2021 regular season approaching, what are yinz taking away from the preseason? Click to comment below!
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