- Defense continues the trend from Buffalo Bills preseason game 3 (fourth preseason game for the Steelers) of giving up big plays on the first series. Must avoid starting slow and work on tackling at the point of contact.
- Allow me to repeat... POOR TACKLING by the Steelers defense.
- Secondary can't catch, from the starters on down the chart. Another dropped would-be INT.
- So far, Josh Harris will not make it beyond the 75-man roster this year.
- Mitchell Van Dyke is a liability and will get somebody hurt in the NFL.
- Carolina did not throw the ball on their second offensive series for eight (8) straight plays. The Steelers defense could not stop the run. Carolina is more physical at the line of scrimmage. The first pass was a screen play, which netted 16 yards. Sean Spence missed a tackle in the back field.
- Vince Williams is the only Steelers defender who remembers how to tackle.
- Steelers just look ill-prepared, again, tonight.
- Dan Smith appears to have coached-up special teams, as the Steelers looked solid in the "teams game" as Coach Tomlin so eloquently phrases it.
- Dri Archer must stop calling fair-catches on punt returns when he has at least a 10-yard head start on the covering team. He must feel a false sense of roster security.
- Is Dick Lebeau laughing, in his Titans coaches polo?
You know, I was putting together an article on why fans should not worry about the Steelers defense after the Bills game. The write-up pointed to three key facts. The first point being that the defense will probably perform closer to what we saw in the Green Bay game. The second point being that Cam Heyward will be the difference maker on defense, with help from Lawrence Timmons, assuming his return is somewhere on the horizon. The final point is irrelevant, at this point. After witnessing two straight weeks of flat performances, being out done physically, outmatched at the line of scrimmage, and quite frankly, outclassed all around, there is becoming a small sense of concern around this 2015 Steelers football team.
Someone will be quick to say, it's the preseason and it doesn't count. That argument has some merit, as it is the preseason and the games do not contribute to team standings in regards to the playoffs. However, the concern is not around the scoreboard. The concern is around the coaching and team preparation. It is indicated by poor, poor performances put on by those below the first line on the depth chart. Look at it like this: we are playing second and third string players on the opponents' team. The difference between execution of the opponents' lesser players and our own is night and day. It is this observation that pushes me to raise the question: if our second and third string players are not competitive, and they are what makes up the Steelers scout teams which the first string players practice against, how well prepared are our first teamers if this is the competition facing them on practice days?
Another area of concern is, some of these players the Steelers have been putting on the field to compete for jobs this season are the Steelers back-up players. Allow me to repeat -- they are the BACK-UP! Aside from Ben and the offensive line, no player gets 100% snaps on game day. Two, if one of the starters goes down (as the trend has been so far in 2015), these second and third teamers are the guys who are stepping in to play starters of the Patriots, the Seahawks, the Broncos, the Cardinals, the Chargers, etc. Do I need to mention that it will be for official standings?
In closing, Mike Tomlin needs to shake things up. Cut some of those players who think their roster spot is secure. Show the rest of the team this is the big leagues. And for goodness sakes, get Ian Wild on the line! This guy at least shows up on game day with enthusiasm and a willingness to play tackle football. Trust me, we are not going to miss a Mitchell Van Dyke. Tomlin, this is on you coach!
