Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters they should expect to see starters playing more snaps when the team flies south to play the Atlanta Falcons Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on NFL Network despite resting several top players in last week's 27-15 win against the Buffalo Bills.
During the days of the 16-game schedule, the last preseason game is usually a showcase for guys toward the end of the roster hoping to make their current team or catch the eye of one of the other 31 general managers.
Going to 17 games is changing the strategy for coaches to balance getting starters essential live reps and the August 29th deadline to cut the roster from 90 to 53 entering the start of the regular season.
We'll play the first group until we have a level of satisfaction on both sides of the ball with those agendas, and then we'll move on to the second, and then the third, and we'll go from there," Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday during a press conference. By no means am I guaranteeing everyone plays. It's our ability to see what it is that we need to see before we move on.
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is trying to firm up his standing as the starter for a franchise with a fan base accustomed to contending for a Super Bowl. Pickett and the starting offense played three series in two games. Pickett and the starting unit should see more time against the Falcons' first-string defense.
Rookie running back and 1st round pick Bijan Robinson made his debut in last week's 13-13 tie against the Bengals. He impressed Falcons fans starving for any hope of fielding a competitive roster. The NFC South is a winnable division evidenced by the Falcons narrowly missing the playoffs despite having a losing record.
Desmond Ridder is the Falcons' starting quarterback. Any aspirations of the Falcons making the playoffs ride on the second-year signal caller. One would assume Ridder would get several reps against the Steelers' defense. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith told reporters that how much the starters, including Ridder, will play depends on how the team gets through practice the next couple of days.
"We'll finalize that Tuesday night. A lot of what we feel like we need to work on for certain guys that we know will be here to get ready to go Week 1," Smith said to reporters in Atlanta before Monday's practice. "You also have the opportunity to make some tough decisions so you're kind of weighing all that. I've got a pretty good idea, but we need to see how these next two days go too."
Let's check out how to watch the game and betting info for the Falcons vs. Steelers.
How to Watch Falcons vs Steelers
The Atlanta Falcons host the Pittsburgh Steelers for a week three preseason game in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on NFL Network.
Locals in Atlanta can watch on FOX 5 and listen on 92.9 the Fan. Yinz in the Burgh can watch on KDKA on listen to the game on WDVE 102.5
Falcons vs. Steelers betting info
Betting preseason games is riskier than the regular season because there's no way to know how coaches will utilize their starters. With this being the last preseason contest for both teams, coaches could get creative to ensure their known starters stay healthy while giving players on the fringe every opportunity to make the team.
MGM Sportsbook has the Steelers as a 4.5-point favorite as of Tuesday morning against the Falcons. A moneyline bet of $100 would pay $164 for a Falcons upset win at +164. Bettors taking the Steelers at -197 could win $100 on a $197 bet for a Steelers win. The over/under is 38.5 at -110 on both sides of the wager.
