LATROBE, Pa. - Welcome to the new DKPittsburghSports.com Steelers postgame series: The War Room.
Instead of reviewing one aspect or matchup after a game, this feature will encompass a complete picture of how the Steelers performed, breaking down the positives and negatives, the stars and duds, with film samples and weekly grades on both positional groups and individual players.
WHERE SCHEME BEAT TEAM
The primary story from the Steelers' 31-14 victory Thursday night in Philadelphia was how effectively the offense performed. The preseason has typically been a time where the offense stalled or was outright inept once the starters were taken out. But Randy Fichtner's debut as offensive coordinator coincided -- or not -- with that turning around.
Fichtner's offense allowed the quarterbacks to identify the Eagles' defense and isolate defenders to make the right throws all game. Each quarterback identified soft spots and single-coverage opportunities to give receivers chances to make big plays or keep drives alive.
Landry Jones scored a maximum passer rating that was highlighted with his 71-yard touchdown to JuJu Smith-Schuster. As much as that was a jump ball, Jones finding the single coverage of Smith-Schuster on second-year cornerback Rasul Douglas was a win because of how big a mismatch that was for the Steelers.
Smith-Schuster high-pointed the ball perfectly just as Jones gambled that he would with a deep ball that targeted his back shoulder.
This was the theme for the night, as Josh Dobbs also saw multiple opportunities to pick at the Eagles' secondary. Though he did not capitalize on all of them, Fichtner's play calling gave Dobbs several opportunities to read isolated defenders who were forced to make decisions that would expose open receivers.
The first came on Dobbs' interception in the second quarter, where the Steelers had a decent deep out/deep corner route combination between Damoun Patterson, who runs the out, and James Washington, who runs the deeper corner route.
This was a perfect call against the Cover 3 zone defense the Eagles played. Cover 3 requires that three defensive backs play deep, each covering a third of the field. Typically a defense will assign underneath coverage amongst the linebackers and underneath defensive backs.
The corner/out combination forces both the deep and underneath cover men to decide which space on the field they will commit to cover, which can lead to confusion as it did on this play. Patterson runs a very good route that fools the underneath man and opens up his space. Typically a Cover 3 defense won't press two routes to the sideline that deep down the field, so Dobbs knows one of his receivers should create a good passing window.
But Dobbs sticks to his initial read that Patterson beat his underneath man and never checks for where Douglas is playing. Douglas is supposed to be running deep with Washington and not even be looking for the underneath option, but he sees Patterson running open and jumps Dobbs' pass perfectly.
While Douglas made the play, you can see he left Washington wide open heading to the corner of the end zone. This would've been a key opportunity for Dobbs to capitalize on another young player's mistake, but it was the other way around:
Dobbs got a chance to redeem himself later in the second quarter when he connected with Patterson on a deep post route into another Cover 3 defense.
Watch how the middle safety, covering the middle third of the field, bites on the crossing route by Marcus Tucker. As soon as he breaks away from the field, Patterson's post route becomes wide open and Dobbs throws a great bullet at the right time:
This route combination forces the Eagles' defense to choose to either come up and defend the underneath crossing route or stay home and pinch the deeper post route. Once again, it's Douglas who gets picked on with this combination as he gets isolated. Having deep-thirds responsibility in Cover 3 means you have the responsibility to be the deepest man in your zone, and if you're on the outside you have to lock down that sideline.
Patterson started his route aiming to the outside, forcing Douglas' initial backpedal to honor the chance Patterson could attack the sideline. When Patterson broke to the middle, Douglas had to hope there was help from the inside of the defense, but with the middle safety cleared out, none came.
Mason Rudolph got into the act as well with a few passes. While his 35-yard bomb to Washington was his highlight of the night, I took note of how he comfortably hit a simple 12-yard out to Patterson against, you guessed it, the Cover 3.
Patterson's route backed off Avonte Maddox and became the right option. Because Maddox had deep-thirds, he couldn't break too hard on underneath routes unless he was completely certain no out-and-up was coming from Patterson. Rudolph comfortably waited to see if the Eagles gave Maddox underneath help, and when they didn't, he delivered a solid strike.
Creating these opportunities for young quarterbacks is a good sign from Fichtner. Not only because the Steelers were successful on Thursday night, but because their tape can show where they made decisions and how they were the right, or wrong, reads. This could go a long way to the development of both Rudolph and Dobbs, and when the stars take the field, it could lead to fireworks.
GRADES
Here we will grade group and individual player performances. Each group will get a traditional letter grade with an explanation of their successes and failures. Then players worthy of mention will be noted with different grading scales. Each player will be given "stars" or "skulls" based on their performance. Players who did well receive stars and players who graded poorly get skulls.
⭐ The player just did his job
⭐⭐ The player impressed based on what's normally expected
⭐⭐⭐ The player was excellent
☠ The player gave up a big play without redemption
☠☠ The player gave up multiple plays
☠☠☠ The player was, like, Nathan Peterman throwing four interceptions in a half
We will keep track of each player's count of stars/skulls throughout the preseason, and eventually the regular season, to keep conversations on their yearlong performance.
QUARTERBACKS: B+
Collectively the Steelers' quarterbacks finished with 20 completions on 29 attempts for 252 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for a 107.7 passer rating. Jones showed why the Steelers still have him as the backup quarterback, while both Dobbs and Rudolph flashed signs of progress.
Landry Jones: ⭐⭐
Jones only had four passes, but he completed them all and got his unit into the end zone with the touchdown to Smith-Schuster. At this stage of his career, Jones just needs to show he's a capable emergency backup should Ben Roethlisberger get hurt. He did that despite being sacked twice.
Josh Dobbs: ⭐
Dobbs' touchdown pass to Patterson was on the money and capped a solid drive on his end to finish the first half. Last weekend, I watched Dobbs run a 2-minute drill where his offense was stopped on fourth down, but only after Mike Tomlin stopped Dobbs from running in what would've been an easy touchdown. Tomlin simply told Dobbs, "I know you can run, but I want to see what you do with your arm!"
Dobbs had a good showing on that drive, but still showed the inconsistency that's to be expected with a second-year fourth-round pick of a quarterback.
Mason Rudolph: ⭐
Rudolph showed the chemistry with Washington in his jump ball pass over Maddox late in the game. He also showed poise when under pressure on a few occasions, despite getting two sacks. A good showing for a rookie quarterback's first preseason action.
RUNNING BACKS: C+
The Steelers are knowingly missing their star in Le'Veon Bell, but the reserves did show some promise. James Conner's night was an improvement, but ultimately there were few big plays from this group.
James Conner: ⭐
Conner showed better patience running to the inside as he popped off multiple runs for seven or more yards. He still wasn't the force they need him to be in pass protection, but seeing him run hard up the middle was a good sign.
Fitzgerald Toussaint: ⭐
Toussaint had to know his job was on the line when the team kept Stevan Ridley and drafted Jaylen Samuels in the fifth round. His 17-yard run and a touchdown were a solid effort, but he still has to show more as preseason continues to keep his spot on the roster.
Stevan Ridley: ⭐
Ridley didn't get to do much in the ground game, but his 45 receiving yards and hard running showed that he's ready to compete for a spot on the depth chart. He's the oldest member of the halfback unit and might be the hungriest. Keep an eye on his battle to keep his spot.
Jaylen Samuels: ☠
Samuels didn't get to shine in the game, not capitalizing on any of his seven runs or his lone reception. But he will have opportunities in the near future.
OFFENSIVE LINE: D
The Steelers' ground game never really had a chance to take over the game and their quarterbacks were dodging pressure throughout the night. Both Jones and Rudolph were sacked twice, and if it weren't for Dobbs' mobility, he probably would've added to that list. Ultimately it wasn't a good start to the season.
David DeCastro: ☠
While it was just a preseason game, seeing DeCastro get beaten by Fletcher Cox for an easy sack on Jones in the first quarter brought up memories of when the Eagles destroyed the Steelers in 2016. DeCastro will need to shut down the All-Pro defensive tackles the team will face in the big matchups.
Chukwuma Okorafor: ☠
Okorafor looked acceptable when on the field, but still will need to be more aggressive in his spot to earn that extra tackle spot for more snaps in the regular season.
RECEVERS/TIGHT ENDS: A
This unit was the highlight of the night, showing off big plays and winning multiple jump balls against a secondary that had invested a good bit in recent picks to reinforce their defensive backs with talented youth. This might be the tightest competition of any of the units for roster spots.
Damoun Patterson: ⭐⭐
Patterson has had a great showing in training camp and followed it up with a great debut in a Steelers uniform. His six catches for 77 yards, capped with a great 29-yard touchdown catch, showed off his talents and why he's getting playing time with the second team. It should also be noted that he was targeted 10 times in the game, primarily because he's running sharp routes and getting open. He might be the upstart who makes the back end of the roster.
JuJu-Smith Schuster: ⭐
Smith-Schuster had been questioned by some with his performance in training camp and his demeanor after losing battles with the likes of Joe Haden, but he showed up in a big way with his score over Douglas. For those that thought the Steelers' deep passing game was in trouble without Martavis Bryant, don't underestimate Antonio Brown, Smith-Schuster or Washington's ability to get open deep and win jump balls.
James Washington: ⭐
His jump ball of a 35-yard reception showed off his connection with Rudolph and his big play potential. That's what he was drafted for, and he had a decent showing in the limited opportunities he had in the game. But even when he wasn't being targeted, Washington was getting open.
Tevin Jones: ☠
His drop over the middle in the first half could've sealed his fate to not make the team. He was already an extreme longshot, but when you have a unit with four spots virtually guaranteed to players and competition like Patterson and the looming return of Eli Rogers, mistakes like that will kill your chances.
DEFENSIVE LINE: B-
Though this group was without its star in Cam Heyward, they showed up by changing the line of scrimmage on multiple occasions and showing continued progress for players like Javon Hargrave. However, across the board, still more needs to be seen.
Javon Hargrave: ⭐⭐
Hargrave showed why he could be a vital part of this defense moving forward by consistently changing the line of scrimmage and reading what the offense was doing.
Watch how he sniffed out this screen and even calls it out to L.T. Walton, as both chased it down and Hargrave got the tackle for loss:
Hargrave was playing hurt in the playoffs and has been a problem for Tom Brady with a sack and a pressure that led to Vince Williams' interception last season. If he continues to grow, the Steelers' defensive front could be lethal.
Daniel McCullers: ☠☠
McCullers continued to not show that his size can be an asset to this team. He didn't record a single tackle, and on a two-point conversion was dragged into the end zone by Wendell Smallwood after meeting him at the line of scrimmage. It's safe to say that McCullers' days in a Steelers jersey are numbered.
LINEBACKERS: B-
The only linebackers with team experience that played Thursday were Anthony Chickillo, Vince Williams, Tyler Matakevich and L.J. Fort.
The rest of the group were either rookies or free agent additions. For a first game, it was a good showing from most. This is the group that showed the most aggression after Tomlin's emphasis on hitting and tackling in camp. Even when they missed tackles, you could see their aggressive approach to flowing to the ball.
Jon Bostic: ⭐
Bostic showed that he can recognize where a run is going and play to his gap assignment. This was the most important aspect to be seen in his first action with the team. The next step, however, is making the tackle in the hole, and in an early showing Bostic was beat by Jay Ajayi in the hole.
The Steelers need their linebackers to be hard-nosed and force offenses to the air by winning the early downs. Bostic later showed his savvy as a veteran with a decent tackle for loss after he read a pulling guard and shut down a run play.
Watch how he rushes into the gap, but adjusts his angle once he sees the pulling guard. When a defender sees a guard pull from his side, he knows he needs to follow that guard because that's where the play is going. Once Bostic got behind the guard, he could blow up the play:
Ola Adeniyi: ⭐
His sack/fumble was a good sign of his ability to combine explosiveness with pass rush moves. He also looked good at the point of attack against the run on occasion. While his penalties weren't positive, those are more acceptable from a rising young player who's making plays and learning how to play in the NFL. Would much rather see playmaking ability with areas to clean up than the opposite.
Tyler Matakevich: ☠
Matakevich may have led the team in tackles, but his lack of speed and quickness in space continues to be a liability. It is also the reason why Bostic and Williams will be the starters on opening day and Matakevich will be in the reserves again. He had a clear shot to sack Nate Sudfeld in the first half, but was shook so bad he lost his footing and opened up the space Sudfeld needed to throw a touchdown pass.
SECONDARY: B
The defensive backs showed their youth and speed across the field. They consistently created tight passing windows and were able to capitalize on mistakes with two interceptions of Sudfeld in the first half. Though there were times they were beat, their team speed showed the reason why Keith Butler wants to get them on the field more.
Cam Sutton: ⭐
Though his interception was a result of Sudfeld's misfire, Sutton was consistently in the area of his assignment and keeping tight coverage throughout the night.
Coty Sensabaugh: ⭐
His interception was very similar to how he read Marcus Mariota last season when he made an interception against the Titans. Sensabaugh is a versatile cornerback who can play outside the numbers or in the slot. He won't ever be elite, but he can be opportunistic and reliable following his assignments.
Terrell Edmunds: ⭐
No big plays, but three tackles and being active at the line of scrimmage were a good sign for his first game. Keep an eye open to see if he continues to grow in how comfortable he looks in the defense and increases how aggressively he attacks.
DaShaun Phillips: ☠
Phillips had been a player that seemed to be earning favor with the team and the coaches in camp. Whenever he defended passes or made big hits, you could hear players chant, "DP!" and coaches get excited. Unfortunately for Phillips, he was beaten badly on a deep route on Thursday night.
The Steelers are in Cover 1 defense, a man scheme where Phillips and the other cover men will have to press their receivers and run with them. Phillips gets close, but opens up and runs incorrectly. Instead of making his first two steps lateral and fighting for inside leverage, Phillips immediately opens up his stance and allows Shelton Gibson to run free to the inside:
When a receiver can break a deep route to the inside, it allows for a number of other routes and creates a better passing window for the quarterback. Even though Phillips still gets beat deep because of a speed difference, he could've helped his situation with basic press coverage techniques.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The Steelers have a full week to prepare for their trip to Lambeau Field to face the Packers. Look for the defense to work on its diversity in blitzes and for some of the first-time Steelers to make steps forward. Keep a particular eye out for the veterans like Morgan Burnett and Bostic, who flashed both good and bad moments.
