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The Steelers played at Heinz Field again last night to close out the preseason with their annual Thursday meeting with Carolina on their collective minds. The theme for both teams was for bubble players to make a last case for their black-and-gold NFL lives. Also, they hoped to keep things all quiet on the injury front.
The former happened, the latter did not.
The Steelers’ victory showed many good signs and some concerns. Personnel is going to have some tough decisions to make, mainly because there was so much more good than bad in the 39-24 victory over Carolina.
Once again, grading games like this is an extremely difficult and somewhat thankless task, but sixteen quarters of work needs to tell the story of which players the team will comprise come Week 1 in Cleveland. While the coaches’ grades, of course, are what count the most, the media and fans evaluate as well.
So let’s take a look at BTSC’s early perceptions:
Offense
Overall Offense Grade: A-
Joshua Dobbs certainly made a case for the Steelers to keep him, but he also auditioned well for other teams. Mason Rudolph, like Dobbs a year ago, really put on a poised display as well. While this is a tough evaluation to make in a game with hardly a starter involved, I’d say the reserves generally had a nice showing. Tevin Jones might have had a showing he could recount for ages to his friends and grandchildren. Nonetheless, what was two, but should have been three touchdowns was impressive. Guys like Quadree Henderson and Jarvion Franklin made their practice-squad cases as well. Damoun Patterson’s injury might affect the early practice squad, depending on severity. It doesn’t seem too daunting though, at first glance. Bucky Hodges has emerged as a camp-favorite of Steelers Nation. I think his all-around performance might have secured him a spot.
Honor Roll: Joshua Dobbs, Mason Rudolph, Tevin Jones, Bucky Hodges
Poll
What grade do you give the Steelers Offense in the win over the Panthers?
This poll is closed
-
72%
A
(736 votes) -
25%
B
(257 votes) -
1%
C
(15 votes) -
0%
D
(4 votes) -
0%
F
(3 votes)
Defense
Overall Defense Grade: B
The defense is putting it all together. While not perfect, it’s not an accurate sample in preseason Week 4. Good showings came from L.J. Fort, Matthew Thomas, Ola Adeniyi, Lavon Hooks and Brian Allen. But injuries to Malik Golden, Thomas and Adenyi are the biggest concerns here.
Honor Roll: Matthew Thomas, Ola Adenyi, Keion Adams, Lavon Hooks
Poll
What grade do you give the Steelers Defense in the win over the Panthers?
This poll is closed
-
15%
A
(139 votes) -
66%
B
(611 votes) -
16%
C
(152 votes) -
1%
D
(15 votes) -
0%
F
(4 votes)
Special Teams
Overall Special Teams Grade: B-
Ryan Switzer has some crazy moves. He’s going to provide some excitement on returns this year. Chris Boswell has mad guts, but can’t risk his career tackling in the preseason. Coverage was fine elsewhere.
Honor Roll: Ryan Switzer, Quadree Henderson, Matt Wiles, Chris Boswell
Poll
What grade do you give the Steelers Special Teams in the win over the Panthers?
This poll is closed
-
23%
A
(194 votes) -
54%
B
(444 votes) -
19%
C
(157 votes) -
1%
D
(12 votes) -
0%
F
(6 votes)
Good overall showing. Lots of tough decisions to make. I feel like it’s going to be a promising season. Early on, injuries could be a concern again.
Overall Team Grade: B
Poll
What grade do you give the Steelers overall performance in their Preseason Week 4 39-24 win over the Carolina Panthers?
This poll is closed
-
34%
A
(285 votes) -
60%
B
(495 votes) -
4%
C
(34 votes) -
0%
D
(6 votes) -
0%
F
(4 votes)