The good, the bad and the ugly from the Steelers win against the Kansas City Chiefs
By Eric Hassel
So far, so good for the Steelers in the preseason with another victory at home, this time against the Kansas City Chiefs. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from the game.
Although it’s preseason, two wins in a row at home is always a good omen. So far, so good for the Steelers with a 17-7 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. As with any game, preseason or regular season, there exist good aspects, bad aspects, and ugly aspects of the game. Let’s explore the good aspects of the game.
With one of two third-round picks in 2018, the Steelers selected a QB from Oklahoma State, Mason Rudolph. He started the game against the Chiefs and completed 10 of 15 passes for 77 yards. While these stats aren’t necessarily overwhelming, what I saw from Rudolph was a QB who was not afraid to drive the ball downfield.
Rudolph looked comfortable in the pocket and was not adverse to becoming a mobile QB if the situation called for it. I think the decision as to who will be Ben’s backup will be a difficult one for Coach Tomlin, but I also think Rudolph may have a slight edge over Josh Dobbs. What will be telling is which QB plays the bulk of the remaining pre-season snaps. My money is on Rudolph.
Another good aspect of the game was the continued improvement of James Washington. He caught 4 passes for 78 yards and was the leading WR in both catches and yards. For a player who was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft, Washington needs to continue to not only improve his game but improve his level of confidence.
It can only benefit the Steelers if we have two viable options at the WR position to battle it out for the number two spot opposite JuJu Smith Schuster. The Steelers offense works a whole lot better if Ben has at least two receivers on whom he can count to get open and to haul in a pass when we’re driving for a tying or go-ahead score.
As of right now, I really don’t have a feeling either way as to who will assume that number two WR spot. I think the Steelers want to give as many reps to Washington as they can, but they also need to see what another WR can do; that WR is Donte Moncrief, about whom we will talk momentarily.
Let’s continue the discussion with some more good elements from the game.