5 things we learned from Steelers-Eagles

After the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the team’s readiness for the regular season is questionable. Their listless performance a day after two key cogs were arrested led to a longer-than-usual appearance by the starting units and uncovered some potentially serious issues.

Here’s what we learned from Thursday night’s game.

Penalty problems

A troublesome aspect for the Steelers was their continual inability to stay away from yellow flags. After being penalized 13 times for 92 yards Thursday night, Pittsburgh has now racked up a preseason total of 31 penalties for 275 yards. That’s unacceptable and something Mike Tomlin must correct.

The fouls this year have increased for illegal contact and hands to the face, but that doesn’t excuse these performances. Many of Pittsburgh’s penalties for pass interference harken back to last season and the season before. If players like Ike Taylor cannot improve their coverage without drawing a flag, they need to be on the bench.

Struggles running the football

A rushing attack that was supposed to be a vaunted, smash-mouth unit in 2013 played with a whimper on Thursday night. Steelers running backs netted only 70 yards on 22 carries. That 3.2 yard average won’t cut it when the regular season begins.

Perhaps some of the issues on the ground were due to the team’s top two backs being distracted by their off-field antics. Both Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount face discipline after being arrested with marijuana on Wednesday.

Another contributor was poor blocking at the point of attack by Pittsburgh’s top offensive linemen. After impressing in short stints in the first two games, the starting blockers were underwhelming in extended action.

No huddle, no success

If Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley intend to use the no huddle as a key component of the offense, they will need to find a better way to make it effective than what was tried Thursday night. Preseason offenses are notoriously lackluster, but the first team made it through the first half without seeming to exert any effort.

Mike Tomlin’s decision to leave them out in the third quarter paid off when they were finally able to score, but Pittsburgh cannot take over 30 minutes to put up a point if they hope to contend this fall.

The no huddle was not used much during the team’s first two tilts and that lack of preparation and practice showed in extended time Thursday. It may be beneficial to break tradition and give the starters significant time in the final game against Carolina to exclusively work on this system and make it game ready.

Issues stopping the run

In contrast to Pittsburgh’s backs, the Philly runners netted 171 yards and a 5.5 yards-per-carry average. Those are the numbers of a contender. For the Steelers, those numbers are alarming. Those statistics were compiled largely against the team’s starting defensive combinations.

Ryan Shazier did not follow up his first performance with another gem, but he wasn’t alone. Pittsburgh’s linebackers looked lost at defending the run and frequently made mistakes that could have been easily avoided.

Pittsburgh’s run defense failures in 2013 were a big reason the team failed to qualify for the playoffs and a big reason that the defense was heavily retooled in the offseason. If this is the result, 2014 could be more of the same for a unit that still seems to need a lot of work.

Positive takeaways

The loss was not without positive aspects. The third quarter scoring drive by the first team offense was a nice show of reaction to adversity and bodes well for a team that might face a lot of adverse circumstances. Roethlisberger will be better than he was on Thursday night.

Likewise, there were individual stars. Antonio Brown continues to show why the team was wise to let Mike Wallace walk. Lanear Sampson emerged as a potential return option. Troy Polamalu flashed some of the old magic with a nifty interception.

The preseason is not a time to judge a team’s real chances. The third game is usually the most scrutinized because the starters play longer, but it doesn’t make or break a season. Pittsburgh has plenty of work to do, but they also have plenty of talent with which to do it.

About Nick DeWitt

A longtime fan of all Pittsburgh sports, Nick DeWitt has been working as a sportswriter since 2008. Before becoming a contributor to The Sports Daily, he'd been a Steelers Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a contributor for 412 Sports Talk. Beyond his work in sportswriting, he's a teacher, historian, and professional photographer.

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