Steelers Now
UNITY TWP., Pa. — Under head coach Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers have often referred to their opponents as “nameless gray faces,” a motivational tactic from Tomlin that tries to emphasize the importance of the Steelers executing their own game plan, regardless of who is on the side of the ball or what they’re trying to do.
For Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones, after two weeks of training camp battles against the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, any nameless gray face will do.
“Just ready to get to it and hit some other guys,” Jones said of the team’s preseason opener this Saturday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jones has been dealing with a groin injury, and had his first full practice back on Sunday since the injury, but he suggested that he’s going to suit up for Saturday’s affair.
“In football, you’re never 100%. But the body feels good for the most part,” he said. “It’s more so about hitting the other guys on the other team instead of the guys on my team. I’m really looking forward to Saturday. We’ll get down there in Jacksonville and then you really get to test and see what you have put on tape for the last couple of weeks here in camp.”
The returns in training camp have been a mixed bag for Jones, in his first season exclusively playing left tackle. He looked solid in Sunday’s run-heavy padded practice, but has had a tough go of things in pass protection in general, and specifically against Highsmith in 1 on 1 drills.
Highsmith is, of course, a very talented edge rusher. But sometimes, styles make fights, and Jones might have more luck with a more-powerful opponent that doesn’t have Highsmith’s deep move set. Jones is practically itching for a new sparring partner, to prove that he has made strides in his first offseason as a left tackle.
“Here, we’re just seeing the same guys each and every day,” he said. “So just being able to go out and see some different people will be a good thing for us.”
The Jaguars can roll out some quality foes, with Josh Hines-Allen, who has 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons, usually lining up on the right side of the defense. Former No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker mans the opposite side, with veterans Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah providing depth.
Neither team has announced if their starters will play this Saturday, and if so, how much, so it remains to be seen if Jones will get his wish at a quality opposing test this Saturday.
But with an injury and a shaky start to camp, a strong showing in the preseason would certainly do him well to ease fears about his performance protecting the blind side of Aaron Rodgers.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Broderick Jones Itching to Prove Himself This Preseason: ‘Ready to Get To It and Hit Some Other Guys’
