The Hourglass Runs through Preseason.

steelers preseason

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Sometimes Tomlinisms are ridiculous, but sometimes they are very fun.

His latest, “The sand is running through the hourglass for a lot of guys this preseason,” might be my all-time favorite from Coach Mike.

Tomlin is a wordsmith, and while turns of phrases like, “The standard is the standard,” are a bit absurd, Tomlin certainly is not afraid to express himself uniquely, something the English teacher in me appreciates.

Tomlin may have stated the obvious with his sands through the hourglass metaphor, but Tomlin’s words ring true for several Steelers as the St. Vincent portion of the preseason wrapped up last week and the South Side portion began.

So far, the major surprises this preseason have been good – Bud DePree and James Washington. Both have been productive players in games and, from all accounts, very good in practices. Both could be instrumental in a bounce back year for the Steelers.

The second preseason game, a 17-7, rain-delayed snoozer of a win over Kansas City, allowed the defense to flex its muscle without Devin Bush in the middle. 

And there it is – the only thing I noticed besides Dupree, Washington and Mason Rudolph sorta, kinda moving slightly ahead of Josh Dobbs for the backup quarterback spot – Devin Bush missed his first action with “shoulder discomfort.”

Football is simply brutal. Bush is undersized. 

Do the math.

Unquestionably, Bush is a superior talent. His speed and nose for the football are exceptional, and his motor is supercharged. What he lacks in NFL linebacker size, he more than makes up for with speed and agility.

But there is this pesky little problem for an NFL linebackers – repeated collisions with gigantic humans.

Every player gets dinged, suffers injuries, and probably plays through more pain and “shoulder discomfort” than athletes in other sports. Blisters on fingers keep Major League pitchers from their turn in the rotation, so this is hardly a criticism, especially when Bush would have played had the game meant anything, but it is just an observation that raises a question – will Bush be injury-prone?

I just worry – that’s my nature. Bush is a bit undersized and I wonder if he will be able to endure 16-plus weeks of utter brutality.

 

Other MoioMusings:

  • James Washington, right! Or maybe I am overreacting? Washington was great in the preseason last year, too, then went on to underwhelm in his rookie campaign (though he finished strong). He just looks better, different, more confident, more sure of his place on the field. Here’s hoping he maintains.
  • And here’s hoping Donte Moncrief was just pulling a fast one on Steelers fans in his black and gold debut last Saturday. He was, uhm, awful in every respect. Maybe just jitters? Maybe just rusty? Maybe it’s just preseason and he will be fine?
  • Told you the Buccos should have traded Starling Marte and Felipe Vasquez! Now the duo are helping the Pirates win one out of every four games. Jerk faces. Don’t they get that they are ruining the Pirates’ chances at landing one of the top two picks in the 2020 MLB draft? Marte’s three-run bomb in Tuesday night’s win over the Washington Nationals was thrilling – a rare bit of excitement in an otherwise dismal run – but really, what good comes from winning meaningless baseball games in late August/September? Lose on, Pirates, and then blow up the ship and rebuild.
  • Baker Mayfield is a punk. I told my plumber friend Timmy that I don’t hate people, but I do hate the Cleveland Browns. Mayfield is the perfect QB for that team to reemerge as an arch-nemesis of the Steelers. He is talented, cocky and mouthy. Soon enough, he is going to spout off about the Browns being better than the Steelers, and then it’s on. I would love to see that rivalry return to a truly emotional level where outcomes are uncertain and wins are precious. It is so much fun to hate the freaking Browns. 

 

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