Jon Bostic and Tyler Matakevich are not the answer the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for at inside linebacker. Everyone knows it, except maybe the coaches.
Halfway through the preseason, there are still many questions remaining about the defense. However, people are content, knowing they are yet to see the first-team defense as a whole, play on the same field.
No one is accepting of the inside linebacker position, though. The team’s most significant position battle coming into the offseason, fans were excited to see the offseason signing, Jon Bostic, and late-round pick, Tyler Matakevich, go head-to-head to compete for the starting job.
Coming into the preseason, people were looking at this as though they had two solid talents fighting for a job. No, neither was Ryan Shazier, but they were playing well enough to start in the NFL.
Halfway through the team’s exhibition campaign, all those thoughts are gone. At this point, fans would be happier hearing Matthew Thomas was starting than accepting that Bostic or Matakevich will be on the field.
While Bostic has shown light at points, he still has tackling issues. He misses assignments in the hole and it’s shown when running backs take it up the middle only for the inside linebacker to be nowhere in sight.
Maybe that’s because he hasn’t settled into the Pittsburgh playbook yet. But it’s August and at this point, if you don’t have your assignments down, you shouldn’t be on the field.
Tyler Matakevich shouldn’t even earn a roster spot. He’s been despicable all preseason, showing no signs that he should be on the 53-man roster let alone competing for the starting job.
So, what more does this team need to see before a change is made? These players will hold this defense back in the regular season, and the first glimpse of this will come in Week 3. As most of the starters are on the field for the first-half, Pittsburgh will see how wide the gap is between the rest of the first-team and the inside linebacker position.
It should come as an awakening point for the coaches and staff. Once the realization is made that neither player is fit to play next to Vince Williams, they should begin to look for another option. It’s what they did last offseason with Joe Haden, and it’ll be the move this year if need be.
All it’s going to take is a clear sign that these two are not meeting the level of play the rest of the first-team is. That will come in Week 3. Meaning if either one of these two want to keep a job in Pittsburgh, they need to come out playing twice as good as they have in Week one and two.