What to Watch For - Steelers vs Chiefs - Preseason Game 3

Pouncey Falls Under Harsh Scrutiny From My Tweeps

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 3rd week of the preseason with alot of question marks that are driving SteelerNation aboslutely mad.  Nonetheless, this will be the last chance for the Steelers starters to get significant playing time until September 8th when the Tennessee Titans roll into Heinz Field for the first game of the 2013-2014 season.  I've actually polled some of my twitter followers to help me with some of the "Look Fors" in today's article...in an attempt to make this site more "interactive"...look at me, all sophisticated.  Anyways, lets talk about the most important preseason game (what an oxymoron).

- (From @cmcsed9) - Um...Score a TD? - Isn't this the truth??  Ben Roethlisberger jokingly said they were "saving" the TDs for the regular season.  Laughable in the fact that you know he isn't serious, but the fact that the starting offense has only produced a handful of field goals is absolutely frightening.  You hear things like "Well they aren't game planning!" and "Its only the preseason!", but its hard to ignore when other NFL teams are putting up 40 points and the Steelers are scraping out FGs as if it were the only way of scoring points in this sport.  The offense needs to get going...plain and simple.  No one, including the players and coaches, wants the final "dress rehearsal" to look dismal.

- (From @preheat_2_420) - Whether Pouncey will get back to playing like an all pro or does another Guy Whimper impersonation like he did vs the Redskins  and (From - @SteelerFanMom) - How the OLine responds from their dismal showing on Monday - I will agree that Pouncey looked like a boy amongst men by the way he was manhandled in pass protection on Monday Night, but I don't think for a second that this unit won't realize how poorly it played and take this game on Saturday extremely seriously.  I expect the OLine to do some game planning and I expect them as a unit to play a better football game...after all, could it get much worse?  I want to make sure everyone understands that I give the OLine a below average grade in pass blocking only.  I think the Steelers have a very good run blocking offensive line, but we all know what Ben Roethlisberger means to this team, and if the OLine can't keep him upright, it could be a long season.

- (From @PandaPSU) - WR Corps, DLine, Defensive Depth, and Special Teams - This guy really got the most bang for his buck with 140 characters.  I will answer each one of these questions by itself.  Let me take a deep breath:
    - The WR Corps - This is a unit that can certainly fluctuate, and there are still some jobs available to a few players.  Obviously, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery, and Markus Wheaton have solidified their roles on the team.  Thats 4 WRs right there.  There has to be a 5th, and that was supposed to be Plaxico Burress.  His season ending injury leaves a spot available.  Moye, Brown, Woods, Gilreath, and Dunn are all options.  If you follow the steelers.com website depth chart, it has Justin Brown and Derek Moye as 5a and 5b in terms of that 5th WR spot.  This should be fun to watch.
    - Defensive Line - I feel that the defensive line is coming into its own. Its changing in front of our eyes, and even Brett Keisel has said that having a rotation will only help the unit be more valuable in the 4th quarters of games.  Ziggy Hood, McLendon, and Keisel are the starters, but expect alot of Cam Heyward and Al Woods to help spell those starters to keep players fresh.  Their run stopping ability is a big question mark for me...
    - Defensive Depth - Kind of a vague topic, but the Steelers lack dapth as a team...period.  Their defensive depth is actually getting alot of experience this preseason...especially at the defesive back position.  As frustrating as William Gay can be, the experience of guys like Victorian and Curtis Brown will only help with that depth at the position when Cortez Allen returns.  Shamarko Thomas shows flashes of being a Bob Sanders type safety, and that is a good sign for a team that let both backup safeties walk this past offseason.  LB depth will certainly come down to who starts on the right.  Jason Worilds can play both sides, and I honestly think Jarvis Jones will start at that position givins great OLB depth with Worilds.  These preseason games are great to see the true depth of a team.
    - Special Teams - The once maligned Shaun Suisham has become as solid as they come in terms of kicking at a venue like Heinz Field.  The punting is a crap shoot.  Butler or Moorman...pick your poison if you ask me.  What I'm looking for from this unit is simple...NO PENALTIES and don't blow your assignment and create offense for the opposition.

- JUST WIN - This was mine and is based solely on the fact that I am SUPER superstitious.  I know the stat that no NFL team has ever gone 0-4 in the preseason and gone on to win the super bowl...or something like that (maybe I don't know the stat...).  Anyways, I just want the Steelers to win ONE game that means nothing.  That way, they can't be lumped into that lose-lose category.  I don't think I could handle that as a fan...

This game against the Chiefs will have some super focus on it from SteelerNation...you can just tell that fans are starting to worry a little about what the team might look like when the games that count start to approach.  I think I speak for all Steelers fans when I say that if the Steelers can come out, put up a good performance, and put some points on the board then we all will breathe a little easier come week 4 of the preseason.  If another dismal performance happens...we might need to call some psychiatric services for some of the Steelers fans that are going mad.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday, August 24th, 2013
Heinz Field - 7:30PM EST