2016 Recall: Preseason starts without Steelers starters

Welcome to the first of our new “recall” feature series, which will go back in time and examine what we were thinking throughout the previous season.

On August 12, 2016, the 2016 Pittsburgh Steelers preseason started at home, but without many of the names and faces we had grown accustomed to seeing. Among the names who sat out the first exhibition game were:

There was no concern for several of the sits: Tomlin was being cautious with his starters, especially after losing Pouncey in the 2nd preseason game of 2015. Ben, AB, Bell and Williams were healthy scratches.

Not healthy scratches, and cause for concern, were the absences of Wheaton (shoulder) Dupree (groin) and Green (ankle or concussion, depending on who you talked to). Panic was abundant in Pittsburgh, because of the uncertainty of those players, combined with losing Golson again during training camp.

It would turn out that most of the carrying on would be merited, as Wheaton and Golson would land on IR, as would Dupree (though he would be the team’s lone designation to return) and Green missed time on the PUP list, and after with a concussion.

Despite those absences, the future looked bright for a 2014 fourth round draft pick, Doran Grant, who picked off backup Lions QB Dan Orlovsky for a 39-yard touchdown.

Landry Jones would lead the Steelers right back down the field, connecting with WR Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 29-yard touchdown.

The Steelers would lead 14-13 going into the half, but as with any preseason game, the score truly doesn’t count at the end, as up-and-coming players and camp bodies filled in throughout the second half, with Pittsburgh falling to Detroit, 30-17.

Looking back

All of the Steelers offensive linemen, except for Pouncey, would start in this game. C Cody Wallace was Pouncey’s replacement, as he was throughout the previous regular season.

In a bit of irony, Wallace himself would fail to play a down in the 2016 regular season.

While Grant’s interception got Steelers Nation excited about a revamped secondary, the pass is what everyone say it was: an easy pick six. Grant would be cut at the end of the preseason, while the player who go the pressure on Orlovsky, DE Ricardo Mathews, would make the team, and see a fair share of playing time throughout 2016.

This game was also the first peak at Sammie Coates since his brief appearance in the Divisional Playoff game against the Denver Broncos. Coates would catch 3 of his 4 targets for 18 yards.

Recent acquisition WR Cobi Hamilton also saw some time, but only caught 2 of his 5 targets for 22 yards. As per usual, his most dynamic catch came on a 3rd-and-10, moving the chains for a first down.

The most significant development in the game was that Landry Jones started, assuming the number two role behind Ben Roethsliberger, while resigned backup QB Bruce Gradkowski, came in to lead the team in the second half.

Bruce would go 3-for-3 on his passing attempts, before getting injured: he would miss the remainder of the season.

This led to fourth string quarterback Dustin Vaughan getting a look in the game, which hadn’t happened with the “camp arm” for several seasons in Pittsburgh. Fans were clamouring for someone other than Jones to play under center, but Vaughan under-delivered, going 6-for-11 with a 66.5 QB rating, as opposed to Jones’ 90.6 and Gradkowski’s brief 97.2 showing.

On special teams, Will Monday attempted four punts to Jordan Berry‘s three, as the former competed with the latter for the starting job.

Demarcus Ayers and Eli Rogers both lined up for punt return duty, while Daryl Richardson and Fitzgerald Toussaint were the kick returners. Both would play at running back with 26 and 34 out, with Richardson exciting fans on his 11 carries for 44 yards.

Ayers also showed speed with an end-around for 14 yards, giving us a glimpse of what he could do in the future.

Defensively, Grant, rookie Sean Davis, L.J. Fort and Vince Williams all led the team in tackles, but the defense looked underwhelming against Detroit starters Matt Stafford, and company. Stafford completed several long passes in the first quarter, giving fans grief similar to the 30th ranked passing defense from the previous season.

Several promising offensive lineman played a majority of the game, including Chris Hubbard, B.J. Finney and fourth round pick Jerald Hawkins. Hubbard and Finney would see starts during the regular season, but Hawkins would be placed on IR before things got underway in September.

Overall the game was rather bland, with a lot of punting, dropped passes and missed tackles… on both sides. Such is expected with players who are unfamiliar with one another, as the coaching staff tries to evaluate their inflated roster of 90 players, and decide how to cut down to 53.

Looking back, it’s interesting to see how things unfolded with keeping certain players healthy, and how certain paranoia (Green, Dupree injuries) was merited, while other criticism of the team, such as tackle and receiver depth, appeared to be okay as the season started to unfold.

Plays of the game


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