Pittsburgh Steelers: Tipping The Bills In Buffalo
By Harv Aronson
As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare to take on the Buffalo Bills this Saturday in their fourth of five preseason games, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin might have one simple question about this preseason to date…can I get a rewind?
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This is a preseason the Pittsburgh Steelers would love to forget. There has been so much adversity and that is not the way any team wants to begin a season. The latest bad break for the Black and Gold is the news that wide receiver Martavis Bryant is looking at a four game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
It appears that Bryant will miss at least the first game of the season in New England but could be out for four. Naturally, the second-year player is appealing any suspension which is stemming from a reported failed drug test that came out positive for marijuana.
Obviously, Martavis Bryant did not learn from LaGarrette Blount and Le’Veon Bell after their arrests on similar charges last year. It was irresponsible on Bryant’s part damaging a team that is already reeling from the losses of Maurkice Pouncey, Stephon Tuitt, Bruce Gradkowski, and for the first two games, Le’Veon Bell.
Despite the setbacks, the Steelers must still prepare for the upstart Bills. The Bills have been picked by many to contend for a division title and possibly get to the playoffs. There is a new head coach in Rex Ryan and the Buffalo defense is expected to be fierce.
Offensively, Rex Ryan has a quarterback controversy on his hands. Facing the Steelers will be Buffalo’s third QB to start this preseason. This week it will be E.J. Manuel. The other two games saw action from Matt Cassel, Matt Simms, and Tyrod Taylor.
LeSean McCoy is now a Bill after playing for a long time with the Philadelphia Eagles. The receiving game is decent led by Marquise Goodwin among others.
Leading the 2015 Buffalo draft class is cornerback Ronald Darby out of Florida State. Darby was not selected until the second round as the Bills did not have a first rounder in 2015. In the third round, Buffalo selected guard John Miller. The rest of the Bills draft picks brought in running back Karlos Williams, linebacker Tony Steward, tight end Nick O’Leary, and receiver Dezmin Lewis.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will have to make adjustments for all the missing players and prepare to start the season without some key players. The third game of the preseason is almost always deemed the most important for getting idea of how the regular season might pan out and the one game that doesn’t count but has the starting offensive and defensive units getting their most playing time of the preseason.
With Bruce Gradkowski out with a broken hand, infamous Michael Vick became a Pittsburgh Steelers this week. There has already been protests in Pittsburgh over the Steelers signing Vick due to his background in dog fighting. But for those who have disdain about the newest Steeler, the may feel differently soon if Vick gets the chance to play or perhaps Todd Haley will put him in as a decoy or use him as a receiver.
Vick should get some playing time in Buffalo Saturday but for probably most of the first half, Steelers Nation and whomever is watching will see the starting lineups on both sides of the ball for both teams.
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