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Josh Dobbs, not Ben Roethlisberger, will start for the Steelers vs. the Falcons

The talented rookie draws the start, and the Falcons once again face a backup.

Pittsburgh Steelers v New York Giants Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

A week ago, the Falcons didn’t see Ryan Tannehill (who was injured) or Jay Cutler (who was recently signed). They got a small dose of backup Matt Moore, and then it was into the deep reserves for the rest of the game. In that light, the team’s strong defensive performance initially is still encouraging, but perhaps less impressive.

Unfortunately, there won’t be any iron sharpening iron in this Sunday’s preseason game, either. Ben Roethlisberger is sitting this one out, leaving rookie Josh Dobbs to start the game against Atlanta. Without the services of Antonio Brown, no less.

Dobbs is an interesting prospect and may well prove to be a challenge versus the Falcons, given his mobility in the pocket and ability to get the ball out quickly when he’s under pressure. It still caps the upside of the Steelers offense, giving us a less than complete look at an elite offense. No big deal, but I was hoping to see how the defense held up for a series against one of the league’s best QB-WR duos.

Only a little over 24 hours to go!