5 Must-Watch Players in Steelers Preseason Finale
The Pittsburgh Steelers will head to Carolina to face the Panthers in their final preseason game of the 2021 season. It's been a long summer, but this team is less than a week away from making their final cuts, which puts plenty of eyes on a lot of players.
Against the Panthers, there are five players you cannot miss. It might not decide who stays and who goes, but it could decide how much they're used this season - and in some cases, who stays and who goes.
The Steelers will conclude battles at backup quarterback, running back depth, nickelback, wide receiver and pretty much everywhere else. Head coach Mike Tomlin even mentioned the long snappers competing in Carolina.
It might be a game played by backups, but its significance is strong. Make sure you're watching.
Dwayne Haskins, Quarterback
This one is a gimme, right? Haskins has been the talk of the town all summer, and finally, the Steelers will give him his opportunity to start.
Does this mean he's the backup to Ben Roethlisberger? No, but it does provide him the opportunity to showcase that he still has first-round talent. Maybe it doesn't change anything immediately, but it could long-term.
Haskins will have the starting offensive line in front of him, but not much else. Tomlin made it very clear the Panthers' defense is something to be concerned about.
"[Brian] Burns is a talented man up front. [Derrick] Brown is a talented man up front," Tomlin said. "They've got quality linebacker play. They've got a first-rounder at corner. They've got a top-notch young safety. Like any professional group, their first wave of terror is just that."
This is no easy start for Haskins.
Benny Snell Jr., Running Back
For the first time this preseason, 'Benny Snell Football' will be dressed and on the field. Snell has dealt with an undisclosed injury the last three weeks, just as the running back competition started to heat up.
"We're excited about getting Benny Snell back," Tomlin said. "He's missed some time due to injury, and so he'll get an opportunity, particularly in the early stages of the game, to play some running back and do the things that featured runners do and prove his health and things of that nature. We'll be excited about that."
Anthony McFarland and Kalen Ballage have shown tons of potential during training camp and the preseason. Both are expected to make the team, leaving Jaylen Samuels and Snell to compete for what could be the final roster spot.
The Steelers know there's potential in Snell. They've raved about him for two seasons, but when new blood enters the ring, things change. Snell will need a strong outing to prove he still belongs in the mix.
Tre Norwood, Defensive Back
After the release of Antoine Brooks Jr., the Steelers will give Tre Norwood his first opportunity to play nickelback. This team is far from finding a full-time starter at the position, but with one last exhibition game, why not try out the rookie.
The Steelers will likely line Cam Sutton up in multiple positions this season, but they'd like to have a solidified rotation by Week 1. Maybe Norwood doesn't become the starting nickel, but he could earn a place at dime.
If Norwood can move to the dime backer and allow Sutton to play nickelback and slot, or vise versa, the defense is complete. It took all summer and comes down to one final game, but hey, it's not about the journey, it's about the result.
Chukwuma Okorafor, Left Tackle
Chuks Okorafor is a lock at left tackle but that won't take any of the pressure, or the eyes, off him. Through two starts in the preseason, Okorafor has struggled, and this week is likely his biggest challenge.
Brian Burns is no joke off the edge for the Panthers. The second-year star could make life miserable for Okorafor, and Haskins, if not handled properly.
This isn't a player to watch because he'll lose his job with a bad day in Carolina. It's a player to watch because the entire offensive line might come down to how well he plays this season.
Okorafor is the biggest question mark this team has after training camp. That includes nickelback and center.
Matthew Sexton, Wide Receiver
Remember Stefan Logan? Tomlin does.
"We were studying the history of the series this morning in the team meeting and talking about what a platform this game is for guys to springboard to success," Tomlin said. "We talked about a guy about ten years ago named Stefan Logan that nobody knew and really didn't have a position, but he kept adding in the return game. He had about an 80-yard punt return in the Carolina preseason game and really ran his way onto the football team."
In four NFL seasons, Logan played in 64 games, returning kicks for the Steelers and Detroit Lions. And it all started with a preseason game against the Panthers.
Why is that significant? Because this summer, that could be Matthew Sexton.
"Mat's had some moments," Tomlin said. "He'll have an opportunity to put an exclamation point on his work like a lot of guys will."
The Steelers don't usually keep six wide receivers, but it's not certain Sexton won't beat out Ray-Ray McCloud for the final roster spot. It's also not 100% he doesn't force the team's hand to keep six.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
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