The Steelers are now in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College for the 2023 installment of training camp. They are coming off of a 9-8 season during which they broke in their new quarterback, Kenny Pickett, finishing the year strong by winning seven of their last nine but coming up short of the postseason.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year.
From the first day of training camp to the last, there are going to be plenty of questions that need answered, including several battles for starting roles. Which veterans might be vulnerable to release? Who are the sleepers who will emerge in camp and make a run at a roster spot? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: How much will the first-team offense play against the Buffalo Bills tonight?
The Steelers are preparing for their second preseason game tonight, set to host the Buffalo Bills in their only home game of the exhibition season. The home crowd is expected to get a longer look at their starters than we saw last week, but how much longer?
QB Kenny Pickett and his group got just one drive before exiting, even if it was a 10-play touchdown drive. Head coach Mike Tomlin committed to them playing more, but would not go beyond that, basically saying it will defend upon the flow of the game.
In the second preseason game a year ago, projected starter Mitch Trubisky played 15 snaps, with Mason Rudolph getting 32 and Pickett just 10. It was in the third preseason game that Trubisky saw his only extended work, getting 33 snaps.
But that was in the face of a battle for the starting quarterback role. There is no competition this year. It’s Pickett’s team. The mission is getting him ready to play, not figuring out whether he was going to play and when.
Quality of drive, both in production and duration, will factor into Tomlin’s decision about how long the starters play. If they score quickly twice, or go three-and-out twice, one would imagine they would be more likely to see more drives. Two long drives, however, might be enough action.
It also depends on how much Tomlin wants to play the starters next week. With the three-game preseason schedule adding an additional week off before the start of the regular season, the third game still occurs when it always did, typically used by teams to give their starters their most extended action.
But Pickett is in just his second season, his first as the unquestioned starter. He’s got new pieces to break in like TE Darnell Washington, WR Allen Robinson II, essentially Calvin Austin III as well, plus OL Isaac Seumalo and Broderick Jones. You need that on-field experience to get yourself set up.
