No one is a bigger Pittsburgh Steelers worrywart than me.
Hey, knowing is half the battle.
Based on how 2020 ended, though, there is plenty to worry about when it comes to the upcoming edition of the team.
That said, many of the most glaring points of concern showed signs of improvement during the team’s first preseason game, as the Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 16-3 in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday night.
Sure, it was mainly the backups who played for both teams. But in the case of the Steelers, depth has been at the heart of those worries anyway.
So here’s a look at frequently discussed uncertainties facing Mike Tomlin’s 2021 squad and how they worked in terms of tamping down some of that hand-wringing.
Hand-wringing that has mainly been from me.
Offensive line play
I guess we’ll start with one that still needs to tighten up.
Given that only two likely starters — center Kendrick Green and guard Trai Turner — played in the game up front, the blocking wasn’t awful. Dallas’ only quarterback sack was a late one against Josh Dobbs.
But the run game still only managed 2.5 yards per carry on 30 attempts for a total of 76 yards. Dallas racked up 109 yards on 21 carries for a 5.2 yards per carry average.
Secondary depth
After the starting four in the secondary (Joe Haden, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Sutton and Terrell Edmunds), everything is up for grabs. A number of candidates for snaps flashed with big plays Thursday.
Seventh-round pick Tre Norwood blocked a field goal and had a pass breakup near the goal line on a third down to force a field goal. Justin Layne allowed a first down catch but then stripped the ball and Antoine Brooks pounced on it.
Safety Donovan Stiner had an interception. James Pierre allowed a few catches but had four tackles and a pass break-up, Mark Gilbert broke up two plays, and Miles Killebrew was around the ball a bunch. He led the team with six tackles and nearly had a tipped pass for an interception.
Non-T.J. Watt pass rushers
It wasn’t just me worrying about this issue. The Steelers felt the need to sign Melvin Ingram for $4 million right before training camp to bolster the pass-rush depth beyond Watt.
Ingram didn’t record a tackle Thursday, but the front seven harassed Dallas quarterbacks all night. Steelers defenders totaled four sacks and nine quarterback hits. Alex Highsmith, Cassius Marsh, Quincey Roche and Abdullah Anderson all had sacks. Jamir Jones had three quarterback hits while Carlos Davis and Isaiahh Loudermilk seemed to effectively push the pocket at times.
Can’t run without running backs
First-round pick Najee Harris didn’t have a lot of running space. He got stuffed for a four-yard loss once. And he never popped a big run.
On a few occasions, though, he used some shake and wiggle to find a crack and fall forward en route to 22 yards on seven carries. He also caught a pass for a three-yard gain.
“He showed some of the things he has been showing in practice settings,” Tomlin said. “We weren’t looking for the spectacular. We wanted to make routine plays routinely. We wanted the pile to fall forward. He did all the things we’ve been watching him do. It was a really good start for him.”
Beyond Harris, Benny Snell didn’t play, and Anthony McFarland only had nine yards on three carries.
Kalen Ballage looked stout in short yardage, including a four-yard touchdown run. But he left the contest with a lower-body injury.
Wide receiver inconsistency
There was another dropped pass or two. Chase Claypool had one, and there was a miscommunication with Mason Rudolph on a fumble when Claypool went in motion. But he also had a 45-yard catch.
Anthony Johnson had a fumble, but the Steelers recovered.
In all, the pass game was … meh. Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins and Josh Dobbs combined for just 174 yards passing on 18-for-28 passing for a touchdown and no interceptions.
Rudolph had the biggest play on the pass to Claypool, but he also had the turnover and didn’t lead a scoring drive. The other two signal callers got the team into the end zone. However, those two didn’t press the ball down the field often and found themselves against lesser competition from Dallas’ defense.
Special teams ups and downs
The punt games were strong.
Seventh-round draft choice Pressley Harvin III averaged 45 yards per punt on four attempts. Three were pinned inside the 12-yard line. One was downed at the one-yard line. Another took some tricky bounces and resulted in a fumble recovery by Johnson.
Plus, Matthew Sexton had a 36-yard punt return that Tomlin loved.
“I thought it ignited us,” Tomlin said. “We hadn’t done much offensively until then. That was a springboard for us moving forward. I just liked the energy and efforts of a lot of people.”
Tomlin praised Calvin Bundage in kick coverage, too. And Norwood got a piece of that field goal that we mentioned.
One negative, though. Backup kicker Sam Sloman missed an extra point and a field goal. Stay healthy, Chris Boswell.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
