5 Things from Pre-season Week 2: Steelers vs. Falcons

By: Donny Chedrick
1. Martavis Bryant looks ready and good

Photo creds to USA Today

I know it's the preseason. I know the games don't count. I know none of what happens in these exhibition games matter, but for a guy like Martavis Bryant - who missed all of last season with his year-long suspension, this is a time he can prove to the city of Pittsburgh that he is ready to play this season. Although Bryant only hauled in two passes for 20 yards Sunday, he looked good and has looked as such ever since returning to the practice field. By all accounts, Bryant is bigger, stronger and faster than he was two years ago when he had 765 yards and six touchdowns. Bryant's second catch of the day on Sunday for 23 yards was just a glimpse of what fans will see him do this season.

2. The defense looked worked

Photo creds to The Falcoholic

The NFL knows the Steelers aren't built how they are historically known and haven't been since their last Super Bowl appearance nearly seven years ago. The offense might be the best in the league, while the defense, which for so long was the heartbeat of this franchise,is middle of the pack, at best. I know you're saying, "Well, they only gave up 13 points and shutout the Falcons in the second half!" Which I understand. I know this is a 'bend, don't break' type of defense, but the starting unit was out for the majority of the first quarter, and some players were out there even longer. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan waltzed his offense down the field on the opening drive, but after that, backup Matt Simms went to work and ended his day with nearly 200 yards on 15 completions. Corners Ross Cockrell and Artie Burns were getting beat, and at some point, the Steelers might realize they let middle linebacker Lawrence Timmons go too quickly. Time will tell, but the defense didn't look too hot on Sunday afternoon.

3. TJ Watt looked human

Photo creds to FanRag Sports

The numbers look OK given the small sample size from Sunday's scrimmage, but it could have helped rookie linebacker TJ Watt in the long run because, after an impressive debut in the preseason opener, he looked human. After his two-sack performance against the Giants, fans had expectations through the roof for the 1st-rounder. Four total tackles (two solo) and one tackle-for-loss while sometimes looking a little lost in pass coverage and other times being handled by a fellow first rounder, Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews. Steeler fans shouldn't be too worried about this, however, because this is just part of the NFL learning curve. Watt will learn from this and be just fine.


4. James Conner isn't Lev Bell, but he can carry his own

Photo creds to Cardiac Hill

He was familiar with Heinz Field when he ran on it Sunday, and quite frankly, rookie running back James Conner looked pretty solid. Always take it with a grain of salt due to the level of competition in the preseason, but 98 yards on 21 carries is a good day's work for the former Pitt Panther. Conner showed a handful of examples of his explosiveness when he broke free for a few yards. Le'Veon Bell is a different kind of runner and is arguably the best one in the National Football League, but due to his recent absence, the Steelers got to test Conner in game action for the first time - and I think he passed.

5. Who will lose out in the wide receiver battle?

Photo creds to EndZoneScore

This is a tough call because the Steelers have so much talent at the wide receiver position. Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Eli Rogers seem like locks. Darrius Heyward-Bey and Justin Hunter look like guys that will probably make the roster, and the final one or two spots will go to either Sammie Coates, Cobi Hamilton or Demarcus Ayers. Coates fell off the second half of last season, and his bad hands have him on the outside looking in, while Hamilton picked it up last year for being relatively unheard-of going into the season and topping it off with an overtime TD catch from Landry Jones in Week 17. Ayers showed his potential in a handful of games last year, mainly Baltimore and Cleveland, but has had trouble getting on the field whether he's healthy or unhealthy.