Steelers, Vikings Three Things We Learned

If you didn’t like Landry Jones before, you probably didn’t all of a sudden start liking him last tonight either. The 3rd string QB took nearly all the reps under center tonight as the Steelers fell to the Vikings 14-3. Besides the fact Jones does not seem to have what it takes to be an NFL caliber QB here are three things we learned from Sunday night’s preseason opener against Minnesota.

1. Landry Jones

OK, it’s probably a little premature to declare a few camp competitions over after just two weeks in Latrobe and one preseason game. However, Landry Jones has clearly retained his roster spot, assuming the Steelers carry three quarterbacks. The question now is: Is Jones the No. 2? If he isn’t, he will be next season. Jones has been very impressive in camp and was, for the most part, again on Sunday. When working with first- and second-teamers, he showed decent touch on his throws and a command of the offense. He completed 10 of 18 in the first half for 102 yards. Jones, who played the entire game, finished with 135 yards and that doesn’t include a pair of drops from his receivers.

2. Dri Archer

The little running back/wide receiver took a big beating from fans and media as a rookie. Most, if not all, was richly deserved. Archer appears to have put last year behind him, showing the kind of talent that made him a third-round pick in 2014. Archer had four carries for 24 yards and six receptions for 33 yards. Were it not for his feet getting in the way, he’s running a little less upright than he did in the past, Archer could have had a pair of touchdowns. Keep in mind that Archer had a 46-yard reception in his preseason debut last year but faded badly over the course of the season. Still, he’s been impressive.

3. Sloppy Football

Nobody is perfect and the Steelers certainly weren’t Sunday night. As could have been expected in a first preseason game, it was a sloppy affair, filled with brain cramps from both teams on both sides of the ball. The Steelers committed pre-snap penalties on their first two possessions (delay of game and false start). The Vikings’ first TD was the result of a busted coverage, a likely communications mix-up between Shayon Green and first-round pick Bud Dupree. And then there was rookie tight end Jesse James, who had the unfortunate triumvirate of dropping a would-be touchdown, an off-sides penalty and fumble. However, none are major concerns. That’s why they have four more preseason games.