CB Patrick Peterson will have his first opportunity to play a game as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night in the team’s second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. It will also be his first time playing for Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium, and on his All Things Covered Podcast with his co-host, his cousin and former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden, Peterson talked about his excitement to play Saturday night.
“It’s gonna be really, really special to finally get my first opportunity as a Steeler in the stadium this weekend,” Peterson said. “I can’t wait to see the atmosphere. Like you said, we know it’s not gonna be a full house, but just being under the lights on the grass in front of our fans, it’s always a great opportunity to find a way to get better.”
Peterson is a veteran, a two-time All-Pro who should serve in a versatile role for Pittsburgh’s defense. One big thing to look for is to see him get out and work in man coverage, as at age 33 he’s not as spry as he once was. He also worked in a lot of zone coverage with the Minnesota Vikings last season, and while he pulled in five interceptions, the biggest thing to watch for is how he performs in man coverage.
Peterson likely won’t play a lot, but it’ll be good to see him in the Black and Gold for the first time. He’s talked a lot this offseason about how excited he is to play for Pittsburgh and learn under Mike Tomlin. Peterson is an ideal mentor for some of the younger cornerbacks in Pittsburgh’s room, including Joey Porter Jr. Porter is also expected to make his preseason debut after missing the opener with an injury, and I’m sure he and Peterson will be attached at the hip on the sideline going over what they see.
For Peterson and the rest of Pittsburgh’s defense, Saturday’s matchup presents a good test going up against one of the most potent passing offenses in the league. Josh Allen torched the Steelers last year to the tune of 424 yards and four touchdowns, and going up against Allen should help us see where Pittsburgh’s secondary is at with less than a month to go until Week One.
I’m excited to see Peterson go up against Buffalo and see how he works against a receiver as talented as Stefon Diggs. Diggs is one of the best receivers in the league, and Peterson’s performance against him will be a good litmus test to see how he might stack up as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 corner.
Even if he doesn’t have the same physical attributes, Peterson is among the smartest defensive backs in the league. I fully expect him to be an impact player for the Steelers in 2023.
