4 takeaways from Steelers win vs Cowboys in Hall of Fame Game
By Tommy Jaggi
Kalen Ballage looks like a solid bet for a roster spot
Najee Harris didn’t look too bad for the Steelers, but as I’ve reiterated all along, a running back is only going to perform as well as what’s blocked for him. That’s probably why Pittsburgh’s first-round pick averaged a mediocre 3.1 yards per carry on 7 attempts in the first quarter before exiting the game.
Performances on the ground were not very good all around for the Steelers (and this isn’t a particularly good sign for the offensive line). However, I thought Kalen Ballage played quite well. In addition to picking up a key first down, Ballage also punched the ball into the endzone with ease.
With Benny Snell absent from the game with a minor injury, Ballage has seized his opportunity, and while the numbers weren’t overly impressive, he just looks like a better overall player than Snell. Ballage has more speed and did a great job with a few key blitz pickups.
The race at running back is far from over. Though Najee is the clear starter and workhorse back for the Steelers and Anthony McFarland should be a change of pace, I think Ballage should be winning the three-way battle between that he shares with Snell and Jaylen Samuels. There’s a solid chance he could kick one of these two players off the roster entirely.
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The Hall of Fame Game gave me plenty of insight, and I will be sure to share more of my thoughts and notes from the game soon. However, these four performances are certainly worth mentioning.