Steelers - Jaguars Preview: The Dress Rehearsal

Unfortunately, Calvin Austin remains sidelined with an injury and won’t play in this game, so his Steelers debut will remain on hold for at least another week. 

Later in the game, a competition to watch should be Steven Sims and Miles Boykin. With Anthony Miller being out for the year the final receiver spot will likely come down to one of these two. Boykin has looked more consistent, but Sims has looked explosive with the ball in his hands. It wouldn’t be surprising for the coaches to try and manufacture some touches for these guys. 

The offensive line should also get an extended look together in this one. Look for them to put together a better performance against a Jaguars defense that features the recent number one pick Travon Walker, especially when pass blocking. After a mostly disappointing summer, eyes will be on James Daniels in this one. 

Also, keep an eye on the left guard spot in this one. Last week was the Kendrick Green show with Kevin Dotson sitting out with an injury. With Dotson returning to practice there should be more rotation here. Look for one of the two to finally establish a lead in the competition. Tomlin has said that Kendrick Green will get the first crack at left guard, if Dotson is healthy expect to see him at some point as well.

Eyes will likely once again drift toward Jaylen Warren in this one. A strong summer has him in a good spot, but ball security is an alarming concern to have. Look for him to cement the coaches' trust in him by taking care of the ball. Another fumble would not bode well for the UDFA.

Also in the backfield expect Najee Harris to make an appearance. He may only play a drive or two, but Tomlin has said he wants to get Najee some carries in a game scenario prior to the season opener in Cincinnati. 

On the defensive side of the ball look for the rushing defense to improve. It is something that has been an emphasis all summer, but the showing against the Seahawks wasn’t a great one. With more and more starters playing they should look to set the tone early and stop Travis Etienne and the rest of the Jags running backs. 

This game will also be a real test for Devin Bush. The former first-round pick has not lived up to his billing, and he has not been helping his case to stay in town. He desperately needs a good performance to get fans off his back, or he might find himself getting passed by Robert Spillane and fans continuing to try and manifest a Roquan Smith trade. 

On the back end of the depth chart, better performances by Mark Robinson and Buddy Johnson would be encouraging to see. It would also be a big boost to this unit if Marcus Allen is healthy enough to play in this one. 

On the back end of the defense, there is not a lot to report. The biggest focus should be staying healthy. Karl Joseph was lost to the year in the last preseason game and Witherspoon came out early but thankfully it wasn’t anything severe. Cam Sutton, Akhello Witherspoon, and Levi Wallace solidify the top of their group. Justin Layne is falling out of favor, and unless he turns in a surprise performance it is likely that he is left off the roster come time to narrow it down to 53. 

A special teams note to watch, the Steelers released Cameron Nizialek in their first round of cuts, so Pressley Harvin will handle the punting and holding duties from here on out after having the first preseason game off. Other than that, kicker Nick Sciba remains on the roster so there may not be a Boswell sighting this week. 

This will likely be the most gamelike action the Steelers get before they start the regular season against the Bengals. Look for the Steelers to maintain their focus early with the majority of the starters playing some to shake off the rust. 

It is still just a preseason game, so there will likely be mistakes in all phases of the game, but it's better that they happen now than when the games really count.