Article by Andrew Barlow
Game Notes:
Pittsburgh Steelers (0-3; 0-1 away) at Carolina Panthers (2-1; 1-0 home)
Thursday, August 29 – 7:30 pm (televised locally on CBS/KDKA)
Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, NC
Mike Tomlin should hope for two general outcomes in his team’s final preseason tune-up on Thursday evening in Charlotte: 1) Come back to Pittsburgh healthy and ready for Week One action. 2) Have the positives outweigh the negatives and finish the preseason on a strong note.
So far, the black and gold have three losses in three tries and minimal strong individual performances, as well as a growing list of injuries. The injuries have primarily struck the team’s young talent too, so excitement for the development of RB Le’Veon Bell and LB Jarvis Jones, in particular, has been tempered. Neither is expected to play and fourth-year RB Isaac Redman has also been ruled out for the third straight game with a pinched nerve. Baron Batch was released Sunday when the team made cuts to finish out the 75-man roster, so the team’s lack of consistency in the running game will be under the microscope again this week.
As for those who actually will be playing, the regular starters are likely to get more significant playing time as some position battles come to a close and those locked in at their position complete their preparation for being game-ready. Ben Roethlisberger will look to build on a strong performance vs. Kansas City on Saturday, when he was 13-19 for 166 yards and one TD and, perhaps more importantly, no interceptions. One of his favorite targets, Antonio Brown had three catches for 61 yards and rookie Markus Wheaton scored a TD on three receptions for 54 yards. Fellow rookie Derek Moye also had three receptions last week, as the receiving corps continues to show depth and promise as targets for Roethlisberger. In the running game, expect a longer look at newcomer Felix Jones who debuted last week with eight carries for 29 yards. Jonathan Dwyer is also likely to get more carries with some of the other backs out.
On defense, Dick LeBeau’s regulars have been mostly solid and they should face a good test against Cam Newton and the Panthers offense. Troy Polamalu has played very well and, as long as he stays healthy, should be a force to be reckoned with as usual. Keep an eye on Ryan Clark as well, who spoke out (again) about his disagreement with the NFL’s continued efforts to improve player safety by banning hits below the knees. Another defensive back, rookie Shamarko Thomas, will certainly get some time but fellow rookie, top draft pick Jarvis Jones, is listed as questionable after making a trip to the hospital last week following a play in which he intercepted a pass, was tackled and landed on the ball, and had the wind knocked out of him. If he does indeed play, Newton and the Panthers will have one more issue to deal with, as Jones has been very impressive.
Finally, one aspect of the Steelers performance so far in 2013 to truly be concerned about is the special teams unit. Kickoff coverage has been poor, as evidenced by last week’s failure to tackle Knile Davis when he returned one 109 yards late in the third quarter to tie the game. In the first preseason game, against the New York Giants, a Drew Butler punt was blocked. The errors have been costly and, grouped with the fact that the Steelers have out-penalized their opponents in all three games, there is much to improve upon in terms of discipline and focus.
Whether or not the Steelers will take a step forward or continue to struggle heading into the regular season will be determined Thursday evening in Charlotte, as they try to avoid an 0-4 effort. Regardless of how it turns out, the Titans come to Heinz Field two Sundays from now on September 8 at 1:00. That is only about ten days away, so they had best be ready.
