This week the Pittsburgh Steelers wrap up the NFL preseason with a Thursday Night Football showdown in Atlanta with the Falcons. Head coach Mike Tomlin has already come out and said everyone who is healthy will play and this means the starters will be on the field.
Playing the starters in the last preseason game is somewhat out of character but since the NFL has dropped one preseason game in favor of an extra regular-season game, all bets are off.
Here are the big five storylines we will be keeping an eye on this week in the Steelers final preseason game.
How much the starters play
The Steelers starting offense has been red-hot in the preseason. Three drives and three explosive touchdowns. How much more do the coaches need to see and is it worth the risk of a potential injury?
Left tackle position battle
Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones will have their last chances to impress the coaches enough to win that all-important starting left tackle spot. Right now it is still the veteran Moore who is holding that spot but Jones is showing steady improvement under a heavy workload.
Nate Herbig can knock off Kendrick Green
We all know that Kendrick Green is on thin ice with making the final 53-man roster. Nate Herbig is hoping to return from injury this week and get some reps at center behind Mason Cole. If Herbig plays well, it could mean the end of Green as a Steeler.
Final look at the defensive line
The Falcons are going to come out and try to establish the run. This is a perfect opportunity for defensive coordinator Teryl Austin to evaluate the large number of defensive linemen the Steelers have in an attempt to sort out who will actually make the team.
Prepping for a short week
Head coach Mike Tomlin said he looking forward to preparing on an irregular schedule and is using it as an opportunity to do it during the regular season. It will be worth noting how clean either of these teams are playing so early in the week.
