Steelers vs. Jaguars: What to Watch for in Preseason Game 2
The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars for their second preseason game of the summer. Kenny Pickett and Jaylen Warren stole the show in their opener. Now, on the road, this game feels even bigger than their matchup with the Seahawks.
Which gives us plenty to watch for.
Can Kenny Pickett Build Off His Strong Debut?
The Pittsburgh Steelers' first-round draft pick didn’t take long to endear himself to the fan base. Pickett’s debut was strong, completing 13 of his 15 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, it was a clean performance with very few mistakes and exactly the type of start that the Steelers brass envisioned back in April.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin told the media that Pickett would be following Mitch Trubisky’s lead this weekend as the second quarterback against Jacksonville. He mentioned the need to see get him some more varsity action, which makes sense after Pickett’s spent most of the off-season running as the team's third-string quarterback.
It will be interesting to see if Pickett pushes the ball down the field a bit more in his second game. There’s no doubt that his debut was solid but his 5.5 ADOT was low, mostly feasting on underneath passes and yards after the catch. As he continues to get more comfortable in Matt Canada’s offense, hopefully we will see him be more aggressive.
Premier Matchup For Dan Moore Jr.
The 2021 fourth-round pick got off to a little bit of a bumpy start as he struggled in the preseason opener. Rookie edge rusher Boye Mafe beat Moore from a wide 9 alignment and finished the play with a strip sack on Mason Rudolph but fortunately for the Steelers, possession was retained.
This was an issue at times throughout his rookie season. Moore’s certainly athletic enough to get to his spot but both his hand placement and timing are still a bit erratic at times which leads to mistakes in pass pro. Learning how to keep speed rushers at bay is something Moore will have to continue to improve on.
Moore gets a premier matchup in Week 2 as he’ll draw number one overall pick, Travon Walker out of Georgia. Walker doesn’t have a ton experience rushing from a wide 9 alignment but he’s flushed with incredible tools. Walker’s extremely physical gifted and comes equipped with violent hands for an edge rusher. This will be a good litmus test for Moore’s growth entering year two as the Steelers starting left tackle.
Jaylen Warren's Shot at the 53
Every year there is one player who virtually comes out of nowhere to be the star of training camp or preseason. Jaylen Warren has solidified himself as this years contestant. Warren's ran hard and decisive all camp, making plays as both a runner and receiver while learning to contribute on special teams.
That carried over to his professional debut as he totaled 34 yards on the ground while hauling in four passes for 30 additional yards to go along with a touchdown grab. Warren displayed impressive contact balance as a runner, bouncing off of potential tacklers for yards after contact. On his touchdown snag, he left his feet and extended away from his frame to make a nice hands catch at the goal line. He also had one notable blitz pickup, showing a willingness to put his face in the fire to stun a defender.
There's just one problem. He put the ball on the turf again for the second time in a matter of days. During the week of practice, Warren coughed up the ball during a team run session and he fumbled again during the matchup against the Seahawks. Ball security as a running back in non-negotiable as fumbles are one thing that will drive coaches insane. Warren's proven that he belongs in the league off of talent alone but he needs to show the Steelers brass that he can be relied upon to hang on to the football when it matters.
The Battle for WR6
It remains to be seen whether or not the Steelers will elect to keep five or six wide receivers come opening day of the regular season. With Calvin Austin and Anthony Miller both out of the lineup due to injuries, Gunner Olszewski feels like a lock to make the roster. However, if they choose to keep an additional receiver, the picture gets a little bit murky.
It feels like the final spot will likely come down to Miles Boykin or Steven Sims. Boykin hauled in two of his three targets last weekend with one of those being a strong contested catch for a first down. However, his most significant plays came on special teams as he accumulated a couple of tackles during the contest as well.
Sims provided multiple splash plays with the ball in his hands, adding a 38 yard punt return to go alone with a 38 yard run on a jet sweep. There was also one rep on film where Sims toasted the boundary cornerback with a nifty speed release, creating a ton of separation but the ball went elsewhere. The battle between these two veterans is tight but one of them could pull away with a big game on Saturday night.
The Run Defense (Or Lackthereof)
Sure, it's true that the Steelers were missing several key contributors up front last weekend including both Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt. However, that excuse doesn't completely absolve the unit of blame entirely as they were gashed on the ground as Seattle ran the ball at will for four quarters. The Seahawks ran the ball 26 times for 159 yards to the tune of 6.1 yards per carry.
It was an ugly performance all around. Frequently we saw the Seattle offensive line, lead by two rookie tackles, just dominate at the point of attack. Abraham Lucas is a nice, intriguing prospect but he looked like a future Pro Bowler with the way that he dominated.
The defensive line just didn't control the line of scrimmage well at all. While they certainly weren't the only ones to struggle, Henry Mondeaux and Chris Wormley had really rough outings as they both were seen getting pushed back sometimes as much as 3-4 yards past the line of scrimmage. Coming off of their worst season in franchise history in terms of stopping the run, there is a huge need for improvement if they stand a chance at being one of the leagues top defenses in 2022.
Panic Button Time for Devin Bush?
It seems as if we are getting dangerously close to pressing the panic button on Devin Bush. There was optimism all spring that the hiring of Brian Flores could help Bush bounce back from a horrific 2021 season that saw him really struggle in all phases but that improvement hasn't shown up just yet. In his last 19 regular season contests, Devin Bush has registered just two tackles for loss.
New Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has mentioned that Bush has often times been in the right position but he's simply not providing enough splash. His preseason debut was tough to watch on film as he struggled to move laterally and didn't register a single tackle. The former Michigan man was a 4.43 40 yard dash type of athlete but you'd never know it by watching this version of him out there on the field.
Whether the ACL injury unfortunately zapped some of his athleticism or if he's just not playing comfortably fast yet, Bush is running out of time to make this work in Pittsburgh. One thing working in Bush's favor is that the inside linebackers working behind him in the rotation didn't necessarily do anything to win people over either. Myles Jack had a nice debut in limited action but Pittsburgh still seems to be in search of a running mate for him.
Tre Norwood's Role on Defense
Who could have foreseen a seventh-round rookie from Oklahoma playing such an integral role on the Steelers defense last season? Norwood's the embodiment of a true underdog story and his second chapter could be even better than his first. Norwood's preseason debut was flashy as he broke up a pair of passes, one of which prevented a touchdown in the third quarter.
The Steelers safety group is one of the deepest on the team which could create somewhat of a logjam for snaps. However, Norwood should still factor into some of their sub-package formations, especially their dime defense when offenses are trying to move the football through the air. Norwood's versatility on the back end is crucial for Tomlin's defense as he's comfortable playing both in the slot and as a centerfielder.
With Minkah Fitzpatrick making the big bucks now, it's hard to imagine that we'll see much of the all pro safety in the preseason. This will give Norwood more time to showcase his skills on the back end as he looks to build off of a surprisingly solid and impactful rookie campaign.
Pressley Harvin's Debut
Arguably the most perplexing decision of the season so far was Mike Tomlin electing to not play Harvin in the preseason opener. While this certainly bolds well for the incumbent punters chances at keeping his job on lock, it was a curious decision on the surface as Harvin struggled mightily last season. The rookie averaged just 43.2 yards per attempt last season which ranked 33rd in the NFL.
Harvin unfortunately dealt with the loss of his father last season and it's safe to wonder how his circumstances didn't also affect his on field performance. Harvin has had a strong training camp and is only one year removed from being the Ray Guy award winner at Georgia Tech. While you obviously don't want to see Harvin punting the ball too much on Saturday night, it would be nice to see him with a couple impressive boots which could also give the young man some confidence entering the regular season.
Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
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