Jones to start at QB as Steelers open preseason

LATROBE – Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin typically doesn’t tip his hand too much when it comes to playing time in preseason games, leaving himself room to change his mind about how much or little action some guys will see.
That wasn’t the case Friday as he said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown, running back Le’Veon Bell, center Maurkice Pouncey, tight end Heath Miller and linebacker James Harrison will not play in the team’s preseason opener Sunday in Canton against the Minnesota Vikings in the Hall of Fame Game.
With Roethlisberger sitting out, third-year quarterback Landry Jones will get the start.
“He’s going to play a lot,” Tomlin said of Jones. “We don’t have a pre-determined snap count that we expect him to have. We’re going to play him until we’ve seen enough, and then maybe give somebody else some work. He could play the entire game or he could play the majority of the game. Our intent is to get a good look at him.”
Jones, a fourth-round draft pick in 2013, has completed 57-of-110 passes for 572 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in the past two preseasons, a passer rating of 57.8.
But he’s had a solid training camp thus far at Saint Vincent College.
“We are measured by what we do in stadiums,” Tomlin said. “His performance has been on a steady incline out there but that’s out there. We prepare and play out there for what transpires in stadium, and I am excited about watching him play.”
With the retirement of Troy Polamalu and Mike Mitchell (hamstring), Shamarko Thomas (shoulder), Robert Golden (knee) and Ross Ventrone (ankle) all sidelined with injuries, the Steelers are down to just one safety, veteran Will Allen, who was on their roster in 2014 who is likely to play against the Vikings.
That will mean more playing time for young safeties such as Gerod Holliman, a seventh-round draft pick and first-year players such as Alden Darby and Ian Wild, a Baldwin High School graduate who played at Mercyhurst, will see plenty of playing time.
“I know that they are not going to be perfect but they have to play hard and fast,” Tomlin said. “They have to display an understanding of positional football. Obviously you know they have to be penalty free. A lot of these guys we are excited about seeing. Whether it’s Alden Darby or Ian Wild, we want to see these guys play football. They have worked their tails off and I want to see what they are capable of doing.”
Tomlin never had the opportunity to coach Jerome Bettis, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, but he did face him in 2001 and 2002 as a defensive backs coach with Tampa Bay in 2001 and 2002.
Bettis rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and also threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jerame Tuman in the 17-7 win at Tampa Bay in 2001.
“He hurt use pretty bad that day,” said Tomlin, “and we held him down to 150.
“It was just one of those things, it’s one of the awesome pleasures of being apart of this thing. To experience a tremendous respect for competing against a guy like that and then getting to know him on a personal level and being on the inside if you will and seeing not only what he means to the organization but the guys that he played with and the community and the fans, is just one of the things that does not get old being in our business, and it’s one of the things I continue to develop an appreciation for.”
The Steelers placed yet another player on the Waived/Injured List on Friday, this time doing so with defensive end Clifton Geathers. To replace Geathers on the roster, the team signed defensive lineman Joe Okafor. Okafor played collegiately at Lamar University from 2012-14 and for Oklahoma State in 2011. … The Steelers are off today as they travel to Canton. Roethlisberger, Harrison, Miller, long snapper Greg Warren and outside linebackers coach Joey Porter, who also played with Bettis, will be among the team representatives at Bettis’ induction ceremony.