In the days removed from the preseason opener last Friday for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, much of the attention focused on the impressive opening drive that the Steelers offense displayed with second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett hitting second-year receiver George Pickens for a 33-yard touchdown to cap the spectacular opening drive.
The production on the first drive raised eyebrows and has everyone excited for what’s to come offensively for Pittsburgh, but much has been discussed regarding the performance of rookie fourth-round outside linebacker Nick Herbig as well.
Making his NFL debut, Herbig played just 13 defensive snaps but wrecked Tampa Bay’s offense, recording two sacks in the 27-17 win, showing his abilities as an edge rusher at the next level.
Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson is one guy who can’t stop talking about Herbig’s performance. On the most recent episode of his podcast “All Things Covered” with cousin and former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden, Peterson raved about Herbig’s showing, naming him as the defensive player of the week.
“On the defensive side of the ball, I’m gonna go with my guy Nick Herbig, who played outstanding, I thought,” Peterson said to McFadden, according to video via the All Things Covered podcast YouTube page. “On special teams and coming off the edge, too. He only played 13 snaps; felt like he played the entire game.”
Herbig was the most impressive player in the preseason opener for each team, flashing some high-end pass rush moves to get to the quarterback, showcasing his potential for the Steelers moving forward.
The Wisconsin product won in a variety of ways off the edge and was a consistent force as a pass rusher, generating an 89.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, including a 71.0 pass rush grade. He can win running the arc and can counter inside with good hand usage and speed. He showed both on Friday night, and he’s continuing to add to his already intriguing arsenal.
The fact that he did that in just 13 snaps is rather remarkable. Herbig’s status was in question leading into the preseason opener due to a hip pointer injury, but the rookie gutted it out, made a stop on special teams on a punt with Elijah Riley and was a force off the edge. That performance drew praise from a number of teammates and analysts, and that continued with Peterson Thursday.
Offensively, Peterson highlighted wide receiver Calvin Austin III as the Steelers’ offensive player of the week, thanks to his big plays in the 27-17 win over Tampa Bay.
Austin had a 67-yard touchdown reception from Mason Rudolph in the second half, and added a 17-yard jet sweep in the win, finishing with 94 yards on four touches in the win. Peterson credited Austin for providing a “spark” offensively, which is something he should be able to do throughout the regular season, assuming good health.
