Falcon Report

Steelers' Mike Tomlin Reveals Playing Time Plan vs. Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Will the starters play?

Jeremy Brener

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The Atlanta Falcons are just days away from playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason finale, and there are questions as to how much the starters will play in the final tune-up before the regular season.

When there were four preseason games, it was customary practice that the starters rest in the final game. However, with one less game and a full two weeks between the final preseason contest and the first regular season battle, the lines are now blurred.

For Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, he believes there is value in playing his starting unit.

“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 said. "By no means am I guaranteeing everyone plays. Really, it’s our ability to see what it is that we need to see before we move on.”

It remains to be seen whether Arthur Smith will follow suit.

"The guys we know for sure will be out there against Carolina, it’s whether we think they need to do the ramp-up or if we’re okay with where they’re at," Smith said. "Then, it goes into opportunities for other guys. It’s a balance. We’re constantly evaluating.”

The evaluation continues Thursday night when the Steelers come to town. Kickoff is set for 7:30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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