The NFL preseason has come to an end and multiple teams have seen some major shakeups in their depth charts. With the regular season quickly approaching, it will be interesting to see how these changes will affect their respective teams.
Quarterback Battle In Pittsburgh Continues
The first major takeaway from the final week of the preseason is that the quarterback battle in Pittsburgh is far from over. In the week three matchup between Pittsburgh and the Detroit Lions, Mitch Trubisky threw for 160 yards, a touchdown, and a completion percentage of 78.9%. In comparison, Kenny Pickett threw for 90 yards and a completion percentage of 71.4%.
Currently, Trubisky is listed as the day one starter for the Steelers, however, the starter has not yet been officially announced and it is still very up in the air who the coaching staff will go with. Interestingly, the Steelers’ first-round draft pick Pickett is listed as the third-string even behind Mason Rudolph. It is clear that Pickett has not performed to the level that the Steelers were hoping he would have by now when they drafted him. Ideally for Pittsburgh, Pickett will make a big jump over the course of the season and will be able to secure the starting spot by the end of the season.
Desmond Ridder Still Is Not Pro Ready
The second takeaway from week three of the NFL preseason is that Desmond Ridder still is not ready to take over as the starter for the Atlanta Falcons. The preseason was not kind to the rookie quarterback class and Ridder is another player that did not come out of the gates hot. While he was not expected to be the starter when he was drafted, the preseason solidified that Marcus Mariota would be the day one starter for the Falcons. Mariota has a very diversified skill set and will serve as a great mentor to Ridder as he begins his NFL career.
With Atlanta likely tanking for a high draft pick this season, Ridder will likely get his chance to make his first career start before the end of the regular season. However, it is clear that he is not ready to start quite yet.
Dameon Pierce Will Be Day One Starter
The final major takeaway from the last week of the preseason is that Dameon Pierce will be the day one starter for the Houston Texans. With the departure of Deshaun Watson from the Texans, it is clear that they are entering a rebuild and will be looking to showcase their young talent. One of the centerpieces from this year’s draft for the Texans is Dameon Pierce and he put on a show through the preseason.
Last season, the running back room in Houston was very rough with Rex Burkhead taking the load of the work. Pierce is a very explosive back and should have no major competition for the starting spot. With there not being too many weapons in the Texans offense, Pierce will be heavily utilized in the offense this season.
