No Ben, No Bell, No Brown --A Pittsburgh Steelers (?) Dynasty M17

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Steelers Pre-Season Game 4 - at Carolina Panthers



Steelers lose 24-10 in pre-season finale

Pittsburgh traveled to Carolina hoping for a few more answers before the regular season began. Unfortunately, they may have left with even more questions. After a successful performance last week, Pittsburgh struggled on both sides of the ball, and fell to the Panthers, 24-10.





Josh Dobbs played the first half, and managed to move Pittsburgh into scoring position on several occasions. Their initial drive stalled deep within Carolina territory, however, when Dobbs threw an incompletion on 4th and goal from the Panther 2 yard line.

Dobbs did connect with TE Marquis Lee early in the second quarter to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead.



All was not good for Dobbs on the day, however, as he was picked off by Corn Elder on the Steelers' next possession, setting up Carolina for a TD and a 14-7 lead late in the first half.



Dobbs was able to move Pittsburgh back into scoring range, and Dan Carpenter kicked a late first half field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10 at half.

The third quarter was dominated by Carolina rookie Christian McCaffrey, who ran up and down the field on the Steelers' second and third string defensive units. This nifty spin move sprung McCaffrey for a huge 27 yard gain down the sideline.



Panther backup Derek Anderson carved up the Pittsburgh defense through the air as well, leading two third quarter scoring drives. It would have been a third if not for this nice INT by rookie Cam Sutton, who may have played himself into the starting nickelback position with his second INT of the preseason.



Mark Sanchez played the entire second half for the Steelers and was unable to put any points on the board. A drive midway through the fourth quarter stalled on downs inside the Carolina red zone, effectively ending any chance for a Pittsburgh rally.

Pittsburgh finished the pre-season with a record of 1-3. Coach Mike Tomlin stated after the game that he will make his decision on both a starting quarterback and starting running back shortly, and will announce to the media within the next few days. Pittsburgh will also need to cut 9 players in the next 48 hours to meet the roster requirements for opening day of the regular season.









The Good:

* Pittsburgh left the pre-season with no significant injuries.
* Both Dobbs and Sanchez showed some signs of life and the ability to move the ball when the pocket gave time.
* Cam Sutton has begun to emerge, and the rookie may have worked himself up the depth charts in the secondary.

The Bad:

* The running game is still a work in progress, and none of the four running backs has shown enough consistency to separate from the pack.
* Carolina ran the ball very well against the Steelers' defensive unit. This is a huge area of concern going into the regular season.
* Pittsburgh did not register a sack against Carolina, the first time this pre-season they have failed to do so.

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Steelers Announce 9 Players Cut



Pittsburgh announced that the following players have been cut, and will not make the 53 man opening day roster:

* Jake Rodgers LT
* Anthony Steen LG
* Zach Moore DE
* Billy Winn DT
* Marquis Flowers LOLB
* Leshaun Sims CB
* Isaiah Johnson SS
* Xavier Cooper DE
* Deandre Coleman DT

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Final Pre-Season Stats and Analysis

With the final pre-season game played, let's take a look at the offensive player stats for the entire exhibition and determine what it means for Pittsburgh going into the regular season.

QUARTERBACK:



Dobbs has the least experience, but actually held his own throughout the pre-season. Despite a few mistakes, he looks to have done enough to at least earn consideration for starting day one. His athleticism gives him an advantage over the other two QB's as well. There will be some growing pains, but early projections is that Dobbs may very well start the season under center.

RUNNING BACK



Keith Marshall had the best yards per carry average of the four backs looking to lead the way, but also fumbled the ball twice. Rookie James Conner was probably the most up and down of the bunch, and Storm Johnson showed the most consistency. The guess is that Johnson will be the default number one, but with all three other backs being featured in specific packages and/or plays.

WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END



Dorial Green-Beckham didn't catch many passes this preseason, but still has the most raw talent in the bunch. Kevin White impressed, and will go into the season as the #2. That leaves rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster, Josh Huff, and pre-season darling Devin Smith as options 3 through 5. There isn't a real separation between any of the group, but Smith's showing in the exhibition matches and Green-Beckham's talent means they will both be on the field more often than not.

At tight end, Marquis Gray and Darren Waller both outperformed Luke Stocker, and will most likely share snaps.

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Regular Season Week One: at Washington



Steelers Embarrassed on National Television 41-11




If Roger Goodell's intent was to rub the contract fiasco of this summer in the faces of Pittsburgh and its fans - mission accomplished. Rather than replacing the Steelers-Redskins game with another matchup, Goodell elected to leave the undermanned Pittsburgh squad in primetime, where they were crushed 41-11 by the Washington Redskins.

Rookie Josh Dobbs started for Pittsburgh, and promptly threw 3 INT's before being benched late for Mark Sanchez.

Washington only managed a few field goals early and only led 13-3 entering the fourth quarter before Jamison Crowder caught TD passes on consecutive drives for Washington to put the game out of reach well before the clock finally struck all zeroes.

On top of Dobbs' 3 INT's, DJ Swearinger leveled Kevin White on this reception to force a fumble -- one of Pittsburgh's five turnovers on the night.



Pittsburgh's lone bright spots came late on long passes to Devin Smith and Dorial Green-Beckham, but it was too little too late for the over-matched Steelers, who fall to 0-1 on the season and will face Cincinnati next week.












The Good:

* The Steelers did manage to put pressure on Cousins and registered several sacks.

* Sanchez looked reasonably calm in relief of Dobbs, and his only turnover was an INT thrown an a last second hail mary.

The Bad:

* Dobbs looked worse than at any time during the pre-season, and did not show the capability to make accurate throws.

* The struggles in the running game continued, as a combination of bad blocking and the Washington defense not respecting the passing game.

* Five turnovers is nearly impossible for any team to overcome.

* The Steelers' rush defense was awful, allowing Charles Sims to gain 177 yards.

* Pittsburgh did not have anyone on the field that could match up with Jordan Reed one on one, and he torched them any time he was left in man to man coverage.

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Week 2: vs. Cincinnati



Steelers much better, but fall to Bengals in OT

After the nationally televised embarrassment last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers put together a much better performance at home against their division rival, Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, a loss is still a loss, as Pittsburgh fell 36-30 in overtime when AJ Green caught a 25 yard TD pass from Andy Dalton. Green finished the game with 158 yards on 8 catches, as Pittsburgh's defense looked lost for a second consecutive week.

It was a drastic improvement from last week on offense, however, as Pittsburgh did actually resemble a functioning unit throughout the entire game. The Steelers managed an early lead, after Darryl Roberts picked off this Andy Dalton pass to set the Steelers up for an early field goal.



Josh Dobbs bounced back from his disastrous week one performance, throwing 2 touchdowns and only 1 interception - an errant pass that hung wildly in the air after he was hit while throwing.



Head coach Mike Tomlin was disappointed with the loss, but was happy in the team's ability to show resolve after last week's problems. "We definitely showed a lot of improvement from last week. It's unfortunate we still came up on the losing end of this game, but hopefully these guys have learned that we can compete with anyone in this league. We will be ready for next week, I can assure that."

Storm Johnson picked up 62 yards on the ground, and Dobbs added another 50 himself. For the Bengals, Gio Bernard became the second back in as many weeks to top the century mark on the ground against Pittsburgh.











The Good:

* Dobbs looked like an actual quarterback, and showed some capability to elude pressure on several occasions. After four turnovers last week, he only gave it up once this week.

* The running game showed some signs of life. Johnson looked strong throughout the game, and Pittsburgh will continue to look for ways to mix in the other backs as well.

* TJ Watt registered his first sack of the season, and came close to about three others.

The Bad:

* Pittsburgh's run defense looked over-matched again this week, and just doesn't have the man power across the defensive line to keep opponents from running up and down the field.

* Pittsburgh has not shown the ability to stop - or even slow down - an "elite" player yet. Last week, Jordan Reed was a match-up nightmare, and this week, AJ Green followed suit. Without a shut down corner, a top level linebacker, or an athletic safety, Pittsburgh looks like it will continue to struggle against the upper echelon of players.

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Week 3: At Philadelphia

Steelers Stay Close for Three Quarters, But Crumble Down the Stretch



Sigh.

Another week, another loss for Pittsburgh, who fell to 0-3 after a depressing 34-17 loss to their instate rival, Philadelphia Eagles. After holding close for three quarters, two Josh Dobbs turnovers early in the fourth quarter proved to be too much to overcome, as Pittsburgh fell the sting of defeat again.

Legarrette Blount continued the trend of opposing backs running wild against Pittsburgh, as he gained 180 yards on the ground. James Conner led the way for Pittsburgh with only 29 yards.

Despite being careless with the ball (again), Dobbs did show some signs of life, including this nice pass to Devin Smith to score the Steelers first points of the day:



Head coach Mike Tomlin focused his frustrations on the running game. "We have to find a way to run the ball better, and to stop the opposing run game," Tomlin said in his press conference after the game. "We are getting dominated in the trenches, and you can't win games in the NFL like that."

Mark Sanchez replaced Josh Dobbs in the fourth quarter, leading the Steelers into the red zone twice before turnover on downs both times. Tomlin has not stated who will be the starter for next week.









The good:

* Devin Smith continued to be a pleasant surprise, showing his big play capabilities on a first quarter TD reception.

* TE Darren Waller exploded for five catches for 138 yards, and has solidified himself as number one on the depth chart at that position.


The Bad:

* For the third straight week, the Steelers have been unable to stop the run. It will be a long season for Pittsburgh if this trend continues.

* Dobbs continues to be inconsistent with protecting the football. He fumbled three times on top of throwing an interception. Pittsburgh may be headed for a QB controversy.

* Pittsburgh has shown the ability to turn close games into blowouts by making critical mistakes at the worst possible times.

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Sanchez Named Week 4 Starter vs. Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has announced that Mark Sanchez will start this week at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.



"We are going to give Mark a chance under center. We are confident in both he and Josh (Dobbs) but I felt that it was a good time for a change. Both guys have been very professional this entire season, and are both competing hard every day in practice.

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Week 4: Vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Steelers Shock the Chiefs on National Television



Through three weeks of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had been one of the worst teams in the league, especially on defense. And after laying a giant egg on Monday Night Football in week one, many fans expected a similarly embarrassing performance against the Kansas City Chiefs for Sunday Night Football in week four.

Brace yourselves for this, football fans... the Pittsburgh Steelers not only defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, they did so in dominating fashion with a 23-0 shutout that set social media abuzz and breathed a little life back into the Pittsburgh season.

Mark Sanchez was efficient and competent under center - his only turnover an interception on a desperation heave in the waning seconds of the first half. He hit Josh Huff with this TD pass early, and later connected with Dorial Green-Beckham for a 34 yard score that gave the Steelers a 17-0 lead in the second quarter.




Defensively, Pittsburgh toughened up against the run enough to keep Spencer Ware from hitting the century mark - the first time this season an opponent has not had a 100 yard runner. Ware and company did work deep into Steelers' territory on two occasions, but came up scoreless both times. Colt Anderson picked off Alex Smith at the one yard line in the first half, and the Steelers' D turned KC over on downs with this swarming performance against Ware early in the fourth to seal the game.



Defensively, TJ Watt recorded this strip sack and now has three sacks in his first four games. The Steelers now sit at 1-3 through a quarter of their season, and although they remain in the basement of the AFC North, they have shown some signs of life of late. Maybe this team is on its way to respectability?















The Good:

* Sanchez looked in control all game, and minimized turnovers. He looks to be the starter for the near future.

* For the first time all season, the defense wasn't trampled in the run game. Pittsburgh made a concerted effort to stack the box, and forced Alex Smith to beat them in the passing game.

* Despite still giving up a lot of yards, Pittsburgh has shown the ability to tighten in the red zone. A shut out for this defense should be cause for a parade through the middle of Pittsburgh.

The Bad:

* Not a lot, but there still seems to be no clear cut lead back. Keith Marshall looks to be trailing Carson, Johnson, and Conner, however.

* Darren Waller followed up last week's outstanding performance with only one catch this week, although it was a nice 34 yard catch and run that helped set up a Dan Carpenter field goal.