The Pittsburgh Steelers dedicate their team practice sessions to situational football. Third down, goal line, and of course, starting each practice with seven shots from the two-yard line. They also run a ton of two-minute drills, putting the offense in the pressure cooker to drive downfield and get into the end zone.
So far, Dwayne Haskins has been tasked to do so three times. All three times, he’s passed with flying colors.
Using our play-by-play data from our camp diaries, I’ve been able to chart the numbers on all the QBs who have participated. Haskins has gotten the opportunity on all three days the team has run it – Day 2, Day 4, and Day 6. Each time, he’s led the offense into the end zone.
Here are the numbers from each QB.
| QB | Completions | Attempts | Yards | TDs | INTs | Successful Drive % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwayne Haskins | 14 | 20 | 181 | 3 | 0 | 100% (3/3) |
| Mason Rudolph | 6 | 6 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0% (0/1) |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 3 | 5 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 100% (1/1) |
| Josh Dobbs | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0% (0/1) |
Typical caveats here. Small sample size – Haskins is the only one to get more than one chance. QBs can’t get hit, there’s no live tackling in these drills, so it’s not fully replicating what happens in a game.
Still, Haskins has been the most impressive, leading the offense to the end zone all three times. Context there is needed, his TDs to Rico Bussey and Anthony McFarland hit wide open receivers, but Haskins has managed the clock, made good decisions, and ultimately, got the job done. Time and time again.
From what we’ve seen over six practices, he’s passed the first test. He’s shown his arm, his physical ability of throwing off-platform, pushing the ball downfield, and making better decisions across the board. That’s step one. He’s graduated to likely playing the bulk of the snaps in tomorrow’s preseason opener. He won’t start the game nor will he finish it but Haskins is set to play the middle portions of the game and the end of the first half. Hopefully he’ll get a *real* two-minute drill at the end of the second quarter to see if he can shine again.
