Steelers defeat Panthers in final preseason game
The Steelers’ backups beat the Panthers’ backups 17-16 in the final preseason game of the year.
I don’t think anyone really cares about the details of the game, so I won’t go into it in very much detail. However, I will highlight a few things that Steelers fans need to be aware of.
1) Charlie Batch will probably be the #3 QB. Batch played very well, completing 11 of 14 passes, including a TD to Emmanuel Sanders. That likely sealed a place on the roster for Batch. So enjoy your 15th season in the NFL Charlie.
2) Chris Rainey lights it up. If you look at the statistics from tonight’s game, it will look like Chris Rainey didn’t do very much. But statistics don’t always tell the full story. Rainey ran back two punts for touchdowns. One was a 78 yard return, and the other was a 90 yard return. Unfortunately, both runs were called back due to penalties. But fans and coaches know what Rainey did, and it probably won him a spot on the 53-man roster.
3) Sean Spence gets injured. Third round draft pick Sean Spence was carted off the field with a left knee injury. Spence had been lighting it up all through training camp, so this is a big loss for the team. I’m no doctor, but Spence’s injury looked far worse than David DeCastro’s.
4) “Big Snack” comes back. Nose tackle Casey Hampton made his 2012 debut tonight, following an injury at the end of last season.
5) Curtis Brown got hurt. Brown left the game with an injury, but it doesn’t look like it’s serious.
6) Terrence Frederick probably played himself out of a job. He hasn’t had a particularly good preseason, and by getting beat on a 79-yard touchdown pass, he may have ended his career with the Steelers.
7) Jonathan Dwyer improved his status. He hasn’t played well enough to bump Isaac Redman from the starting spot in Rashard Mendenhall’s absence, but he’s proven that he’s a capable backup.
Now that the preseason is over, it’s time to cut the team down to the final roster, and then get ready for September 9th against the Denver Broncos.
Go Steelers!
