Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Blasts Kendrick Green: ‘Not Good Enough’

PITTSBURGH — There weren’t many negatives to take away from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 27-15 Week 2 preseason win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night, but an unquestionable negative was another botched exchange involving second-team center Kendrick Green.

Green took most of the second-team reps at center for the second straight week, but also for the second straight week, had a snap go awry. Last week, Mitch Trubisky was able to corral an inaccurate snap. This week, Green sent one sailing right past Mason Rudolph, who did not appear to be ready for the ball to be snapped.

The Bills recovered the loose ball inside the Pittsburgh 5-yard line, giving Buffalo an easy touchdown, their first score of the game.

Green also had a holding penalty in his first action last week. After the botched snap, he was replaced by rookie seventh-rounder Spencer Anderson, who saw his first playing time at center after starting out in the league as a guard and tackle.

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Green’s continued lack of performance in the preseason has his already tenuous grip on a roster spot in even more jeopardy.

“Not good enough,” head coach Mike Tomlin said of his performance. “Routine things routinely is what we expect, and it doesn’t get any more fundamental than C/Q exchanges.”

Green has also been working as a fullback and h-back in training camp, but he has not yet been permitted to do so in a preseason game. It’s possible that his continued gaffes at center could be preventing him from being allowed to do more. The Steelers have exclusively used Connor Heyward when they’ve used a fullback thus far this preseason.

Green will likely get one more shot to prove his worth in the team’s final preseason game agains the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.