It was in the fourth preseason game last year when Josh Dobbs showed enough to the coaching staff that he not only earned a roster spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he won the backup quarterback job from veteran Landry Jones.

When he gathered his players Tuesday morning for film study, coach Mike Tomlin highlighted some of the plays Dobbs and then-rookie Mason Rudolph made last year against the Carolina Panthers.

“Two young quarterbacks really took advantage of this game 12 months ago and stated a case,” Tomlin said. “That’s just an example of the significance that is this game, and so we’re treating it as such in preparation.”

If three rookie linebackers were paying attention in the film session, they noticed what Dobbs accomplished last August in his final audition for a roster spot. This week, they are in a similar position: trying to beat the numbers game with a strong finish to the preseason.

Sutton Smith and Ulysees Gilbert, a pair of sixth-round draft picks, and Tuzar Skipper, signed out of a rookie minicamp tryout, are vying for one — at most, two — openings at linebacker.

At inside linebacker, Gilbert is trying to win a job behind Vince Williams and Mark Barron, first-round pick Devin Bush and special-teams ace Tyler Matakevich. On the outside, Smith and Skipper are trying to join starters T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, backup Anthony Chickillo and, likely, Ola Adeniyi on the roster. However, any roster availability at outside could be contingent on Adeniyi, who is rehabbing a meniscus tear, opening the year on injured reserve.

“I try not to look at the numbers,” said Skipper, who has recorded a sack in each preseason game. “I try to stay away from that stuff. I just don’t like it. I don’t like to get caught up in things like that. I like to go out and do what I can do. I focus on my job. It’s better to be clear-minded and focused on your job instead of looking at the statistics and things like that.

“That’s not me.”

The drawback for Skipper is his lack of special teams experience. He has logged just three totals snaps on the kickoff and punt units in the preseason.

“I’m pushing to be on special teams,” he said. “I want to be on special teams.”

Gilbert has displayed similar consistency on defense, recording 11 tackles over three games. He had 1 1/2 sacks in the preseason opener. Unlike Skipper, he has gotten significant special teams reps in the preseason.

“You treat this like every other game,” Gilbert said. “It’s just another game. You don’t put extra stress on it because it’s another game to go out and show what you’ve been doing. It’s the same as game 1, 2 or 3. There’s no reason to think too much into it.”

Smith missed the first two preseason games while recovering from an abdominal injury. He, perhaps, has the most to prove in the preseason finale.

“That’s in the back of your head, but you really want to think about one thing: going out there and playing,” Smith said. “You don’t want to go out there and think about that because then you let the pressure get to you. Sometimes people don’t perform well under that type of pressure.”

Smith didn’t have to wait long in the preseason game Saturday at Tennessee to get acclimated to his first taste of game experience. He entered the game in the first quarter after a thumb injury to Dupree and played 55 snaps on defense — more than any other Steelers or Titans player. He also played 15 snaps on special teams.

Early in the game, Smith was lined up across from Titans three-time Pro Bowl tackle Taylor Lewan.

“I had my workload cut out for me,” Smith said.

Smith likely will have to show more against the Panthers than he did against the Titans when he finished with just one tackle.

“I have to do everything I can to show what I can show,” he said. “It’s unfortunate I had an injury that early and missed 17 days of training camp. It’s unacceptable in my mind, but I have to do everything I can and stay positive and keep working hard.”

Which is precisely what Dobbs did in the preseason finale last year.

“Never think an opportunity is skewed and coaches aren’t watching everything you’re doing,” Dobbs said. “Every time you step on the field, it’s a valuable rep. It’s a chance to contribute to the team.”

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