“Routine things routinely.” That’s what Mike Tomlin preaches this time of year, especially to the young guys. In his third season, Kendrick Green isn’t so much of a young guy anymore. Yet the routine plays have felt anything but.
For the second straight week, Green had a snapping issue. In the second half of tonight’s 27-15 win over the Buffalo Bills, Green snapped the ball before QB Mason Rudolph was ready for it. Rudolph attempted to dive on the ball but was hit and couldn’t corral it. It was eventually recovered by the Bills, leading to their first score of the day and give them something positive on the day.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Mike Tomlin was blunt in his evaluation of the miscue.
“Not good enough,” Tomlin said via the team’s YouTube channel. “Routine things routinely is what we expect. And it doesn’t get any more fundamental than CQ [center-quarterback] exchanges.”
It’s not exactly clear what the issue was but it just seems Green didn’t have the correct snap count. That led to a turnover that led to points for the other team. And that’s a quick way to playing your way off an NFL roster. Green had a similar issue in the opener against Tampa Bay, a ball that Rudolph recovered, but it killed a drive.
Now in his third year, Green’s struggles have continued. With Nate Herbig out due to a shoulder injury, he functioned as second-string center tonight and saw most of the snaps there. But it’s clear Green can’t be trusted to be one snap away from going into the lineup. Pittsburgh will either have to get comfortable with Herbig as the top backup or it will have to search outside the organization for a replacement. Last year’s backup center J.C. Hassenauer isn’t even an option; he’s on injured reserve after getting hurt with the New York Giants this summer.
Green was a failed pick and no amount of him playing fullback in practice is going to change that. It seems like the odds are in favor of him being cut on Aug. 31; he’ll have to start over with another team. And Pittsburgh could be searching for o-line depth come cutdowns.
