Tim Benz: Steelers defense views preseason finale against Falcons as ‘great test’ for 49ers in regular season opener
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On the surface, one might think that a road game in Atlanta may not be the most effective tune-up for the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary in its final preseason game.
After all, no team in the NFL ran the ball more times (559) than the Falcons did last season. With the addition of rookie running back Bijan Robinson and with young quarterback Desmond Ridder under center, head coach Arthur Smith may have his team attacking on the ground even more than last year.
So if this is a dress rehearsal for a Steelers secondary with a lot of new parts moving around in it, the unit may not get tested in the passing game very much. But cornerback Levi Wallace says there is still plenty of value to be extracted from the team’s preseason finale Thursday night.
“We’re not just here to stop the pass. We have to make tackles, too,” Wallace said of stopping Atlanta’s running game. “Just like last week (against the Buffalo Bills), on the second play of the game, I had to make a tackle. A lot of teams like to get corners involved and safeties involved in the run game. And so we have to stand up if that’s what they want to come out and do.”
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In fact, Wallace went so far as to suggest that the road trip to Atlanta might prove to be a great final test for the secondary, seeing as how the San Francisco 49ers are the first opponent for the Steelers in the regular season.
The Niners were eighth in the NFL at 138.8 yards per game on the ground in 2022. Now they have running back Christian McCaffrey for a full year after a trade with the Carolina Panthers in October. The club averaged 165.3 yards on the ground per contest in the last six weeks of the season.
“San Francisco does the same thing (as Atlanta),” Wallace continued. “They like to run the ball, especially with a good back like McCaffrey. So we have to be ready for whatever they come out with, and whoever plays, and play a complete game.”
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin agreed with Wallace’s approach to Thursday night’s contest.
“Absolutely. Because our goal is to be the best run defense in the NFL, and you can’t do it if your corners and your secondary guys aren’t fitting the run and don’t tackle. So this will be a great test for us,” Austin said.
But Austin also sees some potential value for his players in the secondary to gain reps against the pass because it is possible that Atlanta will be using this final warm-up contest as a way to practice their air attack as well.
Especially given that the club is likely to go with Ridder under center this year. He only got four games of experience in 2022.
“You will get tested in the passing game because these guys are chunk hunting in terms of play-action pass,” Austin insisted. “They’re going to have that ball down the field, and our secondary is going to have to play well.”
Smith hasn’t determined yet which of his players will suit up for this game and which ones will sit out. He expects to make that call Tuesday night. But if Robinson plays, that will be a significant challenge for the Steelers run defense. The former Texas Longhorn was viewed by most draft analysts as the best running back in the draft by a wide margin. Some are wondering if he might be Pro Bowl bound as a rookie.
The Falcons protected Robinson in the first preseason game. He didn’t play in the club’s 19-3 win over the Miami Dolphins. But he flashed a few times in Atlanta’s 13-13 tie with Cincinnati last weekend, picking up 20 yards on four carries, plus a six-yard reception via a one-handed catch.
.@Bijan5Robinson's first #NFLPreseason carry ????
????: Stream #CINvsATL on #NFLPlus https://t.co/L9mPiySUki pic.twitter.com/PYNqdLUQhM
— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2023
.@Bijan5Robinson with the one-handed catch ????
????: Stream #CINvsATL on #NFLPlus https://t.co/L9mPiySUki pic.twitter.com/cJxd4eDkKk
— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2023
“That guy, just the few snaps (he played), you see why he got picked so high. But regardless of who is on the field, I think it’s more on us and how we play and what we do that is really the key,” Austin said.
That biggest key will be getting out of Georgia free of injury for Week 1. Head coach Mike Tomlin has suggested his starters will play at least a little while in this game against the Falcons. If they knock off some rust in the rush defense area of the game as a result, great.
But they better all be healthy for the more important test coming from San Francisco 17 days later.