Steelers vs. Falcons Preseason Week 2: Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown both ruled out; Joshua Dobbs to get second start

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-0 in the preseason, not that such a feat is of any significance, but they enter Week 2 prepared to host the Atlanta Falcons at Heinz Field. However, for fans who are going to attend the exhibition game, they won’t be seeing Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Mike Tomlin, while meeting media Friday, ruled both out for the second straight week.

With Roethlisberger out of the lineup, and Landry Jones still nursing an abdominal injury, rookie Joshua Dobbs will get his second straight start of his NFL career. In other words, expect Dobbs to play into the third quarter before it is Bart Houston time!

Some more nuggets of information from Tomlin’s press conferece:

• Rookie RB James Conner will suit up for the black and gold, and will be used as much as possible while keeping an eye on his conditioning as he works his way back from that shoulder sprain.
• Martavis Bryant should be making his first, although likely brief, start since the 2015 season. Mike Tomlin and Todd Haley likely want to knock the rust off, and get him off the field to give way to younger, less established, players.
• Tomlin, when asked if he has talked about any type of player protest during the national anthem, said he hasn’t, and won’t, have that conversation with his team.
• Previously injured players, such as: Ryan Shazier (hamstring), Mike Mitchell (lower body), Maurkice Pouncey (lower body), James Harrison (age) and Senquez Golson (hamstring) are not likely to play in the upcoming preseason game Sunday.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes on the Pittsburgh Steelers as they continue their trek throughout the preseason and prepare for the 2017 regular season.