Maurkice Pouncey and the rest of the Steelers’ offensive line have a lot of work to do (Flickr.com/Jeff Bryk)
Preseason games are for teammates to get used to one another and get acclimated with the system. The panic button for me doesn’t get hit until Week Six of the regular season. So as I’ve said in a previous article, if the Steelers are going to slump or struggle, the time to do it is now.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are no different than any other team in NFL, except of course, for all the hardware they have achieved over the years. However, the Steelers are going to have growing pains throughout a season just like any other NFL team. It’s part of the game and comes with the territory.
We watched a very young athletic offensive line struggle at times last night with numerous penalties and four sacks. However, the offensive line is only going to get better and better every day they work together. David Decastro is 23 years old, Maurkice Pouncey is 24 years old, Marcus Gilbert is 25 years old, Mike Adams is 23 years old, and Ramon Foster is 27 years old. I fully don’t expect this crew to be dominant in week 2 of the preseason, but I do expect this line to be gelled by Week Four. The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has the potential of being dominant for years to come.
Le’Veon Bell went down with an injury Monday night and Jonathan Dwyer, who has been on the bubble this preseason, all but secured his roster spot with his performance last night. Dwyer was quick off the edge and he ran north and south very effectively. At the beginning of training camp, I predicted him to be the Steelers Week One starter and after last night, his name has been thrown back in the conversation.
Jarvis Jones is fast, athletic and blows up plays in a moments notice as he put that on display last night. Jones still has to work on his technique which will take time, however at this point, I would be pretty surprised to see Jason Worilds start week one against Tennessee. Markus Wheaton showed off his speed last night scorching Chase Minnifield for a 45 yard reception. Wheaton is exactly the type of player that will stretch the field for Todd Haley’s offensive scheme. Don’t forget about Shamarko Thomas either, who absolutely annihilated running back Chris Thompson causing a turnover on a forced fumble.
This preseason game was tough to watch at times, there is no debating that. That being said, repetitions and cohesiveness will only make this team better down the road.
Do I think the Steelers will struggle early in the season? Possibly.
Do I think the Steelers will be a factor in December? Absolutely.
