Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 things to watch for against the Giants

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to set high expectations as they open their 2017 preseason against the New York Giants.

The NFL season is officially underway with the kick off of training camp and preseason games this month. These guys are putting it all on the line just to live another day in the NFL. Seeing a player evolve and compete at the highest level is a unique experience for fans to witness. To me, it’s exciting to see that stand out guy, whose name you may not know, with a ‘man amongst boys’ mentality. This is when teams find their hidden gems.

With Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown taking a seat Friday, we’ll be able to see some backups get first team reps at two key positions, quarterback and wide receiver. With the second and third units trying to prove their worth to the Steelers, here are the five things you should keep an eye on vs. the New York Giants:

1. QB Joshua Dobbs

I was fortunate enough to make it to training camp last week and see the 4th round pick live in action. In the first few drills Dobbs looked shaky, accuracy and velocity were a glaring issue. Throughout the rest of practice, he made some key throws down the sidelines and has developed excellent chemistry with fellow rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster.

On Friday, Dobbs will be with the first team offense in his first ever NFL start. Try and pay attention to his delivery and accuracy downfield, as well as his ability to read an NFL defense. We’ll see if he can “own the playbook” like he hopes too.