Well...look there isn't much to say after that performance by the Pittsburgh Steelers. A 34-9 beatdown by the Carolina Panthers in Carolina took place tonight. It was the Panthers starters vs the Steelers mostly backups, with Dwayne Haskins starting at quarterback. But it didn't get any better when it was backups on backups.
Let's start with the winners for the sake of something good to talk about.
The Good
James Pierre - Pierre started at corner and solidified the fact that he's the third best corner on this roster. He was sure on tackles, and was the best player on the field when he was out there. Even if the Steelers look outside of the organization for a slot corner, Pierre has done enough to still force Cam Sutton to the slot on passing downs.
Isaiah Buggs - Buggs has had a consistent preseason. He found himself in the backfield quite a bit tonight and appears to have knocked Carlos Davis off the 53-man roster.
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Jamir Jones - Jones had another sack tonight to bring his total to 2.5 during the preseason. He also recorded 8 tackles. He likely had a spot locked up, but he didn't do anything to hurt his chances against the Panthers. He's just constantly making plays, and he did so against the Panthers starting line tonight.
Now to the bad...and no we can't list it all.
The Bad
Dwayne Haskins - Haskins statline was dismal until he re-entered the game after Joshua Dobbs left with an injury late in the fourth quarter. He wasn't able to do anything with his opportunity against the Panthers starting defense. His first two possessions were three and outs, followed by an interception. At one point he had a 2.8 quarterback rating. His team around him didn't do him any favors either. Dropped passes, and missed blocks were prevalent.
Pressley Harvin III - Now I don't believe that he punted his way off of the roster, but he didn't exactly have his best performance. He only averaged 42.3 yards per punt with a long of 48. He also held on a missed extra point attempt by Chris Boswell late in the game. I didn't see a good replay of the hold, but it's worth noting.
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Robert Spillane - Gosh, it's amazing that teams do anything except throw to whoever he's covering. It's just continued to get worse for him. It isn't his fault that he's being forced to cover DJ Moore, but there were plenty of other opportunities where he's being beaten by much less.
The Steelers Secondary - Tre Norwood dropped an interception that hit him right between the numbers. Lamont Wade whiffed hard on Will Grier's 24-yard touchdown run. Mark Gilbert was called for two penalties. There were zero plays made from anyone that was inserted into the slot position.
Mathew Sexton - Sexton was in a battle with Ray-Ray McCloud for the final receiver spot, and then he went back to field his first punt. He tried to force a return and instead fumbled it away to Carolina. His next return he fumbled it again, but he recovered it. McCloud didn't do much until his late touchdown from Haskins, but Sexton is likely going to find himself on the practice squad.
What were some of your takeaways from tonight's game? Click to comment below!
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