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Saturday, August 29, 2015

Steelers game day thread

Should be an interesting game today at Ralph Wilson Stadium between the Steelers and Bills.

It was a somewhat turbulent week for the Steelers with the loss of center Maurkice Pouncey, signing of Mike Vick and news that Martavis Bryant will be suspended for the first four games of the season.

Today will give Cody Wallace a chance to show he can play at center against a very good front four for Buffalo.

The Steelers will definitely want to see that.

Vick is also expected to see some playing time today. It likely won't be much, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him at some point in the first half with the first unit.

Speaking of that, we'll also get to see a good bit of DeAngelo Williams with the starters as well today. The Steelers want to give him a chance to play with the 1s considering that he'll be one of them in two weeks when they play at New England thanks to Le'Veon Bell's two-game suspension.

That brings us to Bryant. The team has still not gotten confirmation from the NFL that Bryant will be suspended to open the season. That will likely come next week at some point when his appeal is heard.

Expect the Steelers to work Darrius Heyward-Bey into the lineup with the starters some today to help prepare for that. Scratch that. Heyward-Bey is not dressed today, which is interesting.

It would have been a good day for him to work with Ben Roethlisberger and company, but they got plenty of work together in the offseason and training camp.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Since it hasn't been announced properly Im sure you have no extra details, Dale, but do you think there's a chance it's less than the 4 games?? They should beat the 49ers without Bell and Bryant and then Bell comes back. Not having him against the rams is not a crushing blow but against the ravens it kinda is. Hope it's 3 games max!

Dale Lolley said...

I don't see that happening. I think it's pretty cut and dried in terms of the CBA what the punishment is.

Anonymous said...

Is the defense planning on covering anyone?

adamg said...

Ryan was playing his first team well into the 3rd qtr. The Steelers were playing 2nd/3rd back ups. I wouldn't read too much into it after the 1st qtr when Tomlin pulled all his first teamers.

To me, the turning point was Boykin dropping that batted pass that landed right in his bread basket and was undoubtedly a pick 6.

Anonymous said...

I saw jarvis Jones out there in the third quarter. Have yet to see him win a one-on-one match-up.

Anonymous said...

I wish they didn't play Bryant in this game because now I'm even more pissed off.

Gotta feel for Hartley. Guy gets a break, was playing great, and then, bam, done. Steelers will have to move on and he'll have to wait for another tryout somewhere.

I don't panic about pre-season play, but I also didn't see anything encouraging from that defense either. Jarvis Jones seems to get run upfield on every rush. Watch the difference when James Harrison gets in the game on 9/10 and collapses the pocket in a way I've yet to see from Jarvis.

Just sucks to think about playing the Pats without Bell and Bryant. And you just know that somehow Brady will get to play.

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