The story of the night across the NFL was backup quarterbacks having big nights, and Steelers QB Joshua Dobbs was a shining example of that. The rookie from Tennessee ran in a 1-yard touchdown run with just 0:02 remaining on the clock to seal a Steelers 17-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night.
Fans were treated to a great game overall, however, they were not treated to several big names, including Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger or WR Antonio Brown, nor Panthers QB Cam Newton or rookie RB Christian McCaffrey. Dobbs finished with 212 yards through the air and staking his last preseason claim for his case for a spot on the Pittsburgh depth chart, and with that, we give you our PFF exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.
Top 5 grades
WR Marcus Tucker, 83.1 overall grade
S Jacob Hagen, 82.6 overall grade
LB Matt Galambos, 82.5 overall grade
S Terrish Webb, 81.6 overall grade
WR Justin Hunter, 81.3 overall grade
Performances of Note:
WR Marcus Tucker, 83.1 overall grade
Seemingly discovering gaps in coverage throughout his time on the field, Tucker, an UDFA out of Northern Michigan, caught each of his five catchable targets for 83 yards. His long reception of 34 yards came within the coverage of Panthers CB Jeff Richards, and Tucker posted a 4.15 yards per route run average on 20 snaps in route on the night.
WR Justin Hunter, 81.3 overall grade
Making his case for a roster spot, Hunter did all he could after tracking down each of his three catchable targets for 75 yards, and a highly impressive 9.38 yard-per-route-run average. His long reception of 58 yards within the coverage of Panthers CB Cole Luke would end in a touchdown.
FS Jacob Hagen, 82.6 overall grade
Despite a missed tackle in run defense, Hagen played a key role in Pittsburgh's defensive effort. Hagen wouldn't allow a single yard after the catch on two receptions allowed — five targets — and concluded his evening with a minuscule 0.56 yards per coverage snap.
LB Matt Galambos, 82.5 overall grade
Galambos' coverage was targeted once in the game, and he was able to secure an interception in response. During 10 snaps in run defense, Galambos also recorded a defensive stop on his lone tackle.
Top 5 grades
G Taylor Moton, 86.1 overall grade
CB Cole Luke, 83.1 overall grade
LB Ben Jacobs, 81.9 overall grade
C Brian Folkerts, 81.4 overall grade
S Damian Parms, 81.4 overall grade
Performances of Note:
LG Taylor Moton, 86.1 overall grade
During 65 snaps on the field, Moton earned an 82.8 pass-blocking grade, 86.5 run-blocking, and 88.3 discipline. The rookie out of Western Michigan posted a 95.6 pass-blocking efficiency while creating seems for the Carolina offense in route to controlling the clock for the victory.
WR Kaelin Clay, 79.3 overall grade
A 79.4 receiving grade would be submitted by Clay thanks to collecting each of his three targeted passes for 76 yards. Carolina quarterbacks were rewarded with a 118.8 QB rating on throws directed at the former Utah product, with a long reception of 47 yards tracked down within the coverage of Pittsburgh CB Cameron Sutton.
CB Cole Luke, 83.1 overall grade
Luke played a decent game of football Thursday evening, collecting eight solo tackles, four defensive stops, and a QB pressure for good measure. Luke put up a 9.0 combined tackle efficiency, despite allowing each of his responsible targets to find a home.
LB Ben Jacobs, 81.9 overall grade
Jacobs made his difference against the Steelers in defense of the run. On 21 snaps against the run, Jacobs collected four solo tackles, one assist, one defensive stop, and a 4.8 run-stop percentage.
PFF Game Ball: G Taylor Moton, 86.1 overall grade
*Grades subject to change pending review
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