Football season is now officially underway as the Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday night’s preseason-opneing Hall of Fame Game.
Although there were flashes of talent, the Steelers failed to score a touchdown and would go on to lose 14-3.
Ben Roethlisberger was scratched from the game, giving third-year pro Landry Jones the start. Jones has been inactive every career regular-season game as he has yet to advance up the depth chart. The Oklahoma standout played well in an expanded role, completing 10 passes out of 18 attempts. Jones racked up 102 yards and was a few drops away from throwing a touchdown in the first half.
The best opportunity for the Steelers to score in the first half came when the offense was able to drive the ball all the way down to the Vikings’ one yard line but failed to convert on a fourth down attempt.
Jones regressed in his second half of play, throwing the ball wildly and finished the game 11-for-22 for 106 yards.
Tight end Jesse James had a very rough night, dropping two passes, one within feet of a wide open end zone and the other leading to an interception. The 6-foot-7 Glassport native was a late round draft pick and is said to be looked at as a future possible replacement for Heath Miller, but with his play today there is clearly a lot of work needed.
Defensively, the Steelers got off to a slow start on the line of scrimmage and could not penetrate through their gaps. Inside linebacker Ryan Shazier stood out, recording five tackles in the time he was on the field.
The secondary struggled in keeping their coverage from breaking down. The biggest mistake came in the second quarter, allowing Vikings’ second-string quarterback Mike Kafka to complete a 34-yard touchdown pass to MyCole Pruitt.
Along with defensive woes, the special teams unit had a hiccup as well. With four minutes left in the third quarter, Pittsburgh allowed a 62-yard punt return by Stefon Diggs. The long return got the Vikings within inches of the goal line, where running back Joe Banyard ran right through the Steelers front seven on the following play.
The Steelers’ next preseason game will be hosted by the Jacksonville Jaguars this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Bumps and Bruises:
K Shaun Suisham – Knee
G Marcus Gilbert – Eye
Photo credit: AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar
