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In the first official week of the 2021 NFL preseason, the Philadelphia Eagles went up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the Steelers winning their second-straight NFL preseason game 24-16.
We got to see a lot more of OC Matt Canada's new offense in Pittsburgh, though. The Eagles had some success, but have a number of things to work on in training camp before they endure the rigors of the regular season.
Here are a some of the main takeaways from the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Philadelphia Eagles game in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.
Five things we learned from Pittsburgh Steelers vs Philadelphia Eagles
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#1 - Preseason MVPs on each team
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Ben Roethlisberger once again sat out for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Jalen Hurts got in some early reps. The Steelers also played a majority of their starters, outside of a select few.
For the Philadelphia Eagles, the clear MVP of the game was WR Quez Watkins. Right before kickoff, the announcers claimed they were keeping an eye on Watkins for his speed and they weren't wrong. Early in the game, Quez Watkins was able to burn past his defender as Jalen Hurts threw to him running up the sideline. Unfortunately, it was overthrown and out of reach.
Later in the first quarter, Watkins caught a screen pass from QB Joe Flacco and turned on the turbo for a 79-yard TD thanks to a few good blocks. His speed has gained him attention in training camp and it could land him in the starting rotation at this rate.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the entire RB room was the MVP. Dwayne Haskins was a close second with his 161 yards and a TD, including several passes in tight windows. He had some rocky moments as well, though.
Overall, the Pittsburgh Steelers' RBs ran for 160 yards on 37 carries (4.3 yards per carry). Tony Brooks-James was the lead rusher with 51 yards and had several nice gains in the second half. Jaylen Samuels was able to make a case for a roster spot with 45 yards and newly-signed Pete Guerriero had 20 yards.
Najee Harris had a couple nice moments, but had one taken back by a holding call.
#2 - Players who might be on the roster bubble
While there were many bright spots in this game, both teams could look at a few players and put them on the shortlist for the roster bubble when it comes time for the first cuts.
For Philadelphia, that player could be QB Nick Mullens. Mullens was primed to have a positive outing in this game and show that he can drive a team downfield with some success. Instead, he looked far from confident on the field. His first INT occurred when he was forced to get the ball out quickly with pressure closing in. He threw it behind his receiver and Justin Layne snagged it.
His second pick was more his own fault. Mullens showed a lack of arm strength and follow-through on a deep pass that was also a late throw. Lafayette Pitts was able to pick it from the air and get a decent return.
The Pittsburgh Steelers might also have to take a second look at TE Zach Gentry. He had two targets in the game, but clearly dropped one. Dwayne Haskins' pass was a little behind him but still catchable.
Gentry only had one target in the Hall of Fame Game and Kevin Rader could end up jumping him on the depth chart. He's yet to make an impact as a 2019 fifth-round pick.
#3 - Dwayne Haskins is making strides at QB3, but Josh Dobbs is still in the reckoning for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Josh Dobbs only had 30 passing yards and an INT in this game but had a much better outing in the Hall of Fame Game. He played in the fourth quarter, where the Pittsburgh Steelers were constantly feeding their RBs, who were carving up the sleepy Philadelphia DL.
His first pass was low and his second was picked off after Elijah Riley read his eyes and jumped the route. Several of Dobbs' passes were low and almost out of reach for his targets.
Haskins played well in his role for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it was far from perfect. He threaded the needle on several key throws, but had some that were off-target and wobbly. The biggest takeaway was the mental mistakes he made, such as running the wrong way on a read-option play.
Haskins will likely still start over Dobbs in the next game for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Dobbs could get back in the game with a strong showing.
#4 - Philadelphia DL was sluggish and ineffective for most of the second half
The Eagles pulled most of their starters in the second half, but left some second-string players in. DC Jonathan Gannon should have made some personnel changes in the third quarter, as his defensive line was pounded on and slowed as the quarter went on.
The Pittsburgh Steelers possessed the ball for the majority of the third quarter, thanks to their success running the ball up the middle. Seventh-round LB Patrick Johnson was a highlight on the edge and was one of the few players able to apply any real pressure on the QB.
#5 - Special teams were strong on both sides
In the Hall of Fame Game, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie punter Pressley Harvin lll had an amazing performance with two punts inside the 10 and another deep one. He seemed to have the punter battle in his pocket, but then Jordan Berry showed up.
His first punt was recovered at the two-yard line and his second bounced back, similar to Harvin's a week earlier, and was downed inside the 10. His longest of the night was 54 yards. Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell made his only XP attempt while Sam Sloman played a bit better than the Hall of Fame Game, where he missed a FG and XP.
Quez Watkins had a decent return on the opening kickoff and Jason Huntley had one at 35 yards. Punter Arryn Siposs was kicking bombs all night, averaging 50.8 yards on four punts and his longest was 55 yards. Kicker Jake Elliott nailed two 47-yard and a 50-yard kicks with ease right down the middle.
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