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By Anne Erickson
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Asante Samuel Jr. didn't need much time to make his presence felt against the Green Bay Packers. The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback has already been one of the names to watch throughout training camp, and he backed that up in the preseason opener.
Samuel Jr. was around the ball throughout the game and looked solid going up against Green Bay's receivers.
One of his best plays came near the goal line, when he broke up a pass intended for Jayden Reed at the five-yard line. It was the kind of play Pittsburgh needed, and Samuel Jr. made sure Reed couldn't come down with it.
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He wasn't done there, though. Samuel Jr. also put together some excellent coverage down the field against Savion Williams. The receiver couldn't find much room, and Samuel Jr. looked every bit like a cornerback capable of handling a starting role.
That's especially important for Pittsburgh right now. The Steelers have a long list of injuries at cornerback, which has made Samuel Jr.'s development even more significant heading into the regular season. The team needs players to step up, and he's giving Pittsburgh plenty of reasons to believe he can be one of them.
Samuel Jr. was already making noise in training camp, but there's a different feeling when those plays start showing up in a game. His performance against the Packers gave him another opportunity to show the Steelers what he can do when the competition gets real.
The pass breakup on Reed was a particularly strong example. Samuel Jr. stayed with the play near the five-yard line and kept the ball out of the receiver's hands.
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Then came the coverage on Williams, adding another positive moment to his night.
It's still the preseason, and Samuel Jr. will have more work to do before the Steelers settle on their roles for the regular season. But he's doing exactly what he needs to do right now.
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