Sure, it was the preseason. No, the games don’t count. But the play does. It matters. Especially for a Pittsburgh Steelers team coming off a 9-8 season with a young, evolving offense that has plenty to prove.
Add all the summer caveats you want. The Steelers’ preseason was perfect.
1. The Offense Was Productive And Explosive
What more could you want from the starters? Five drives, five touchdowns. They did it by air, starting off the year with a 33-yard touchdown from QB Kenny Pickett to WR George Pickens. Pickett with perfect ball placement to allow for YAC, Pickens – who’s no longer just the “go deep” guy – running 21 yards into the end zone, shaking the safety along the way. His longest YAC catch in 2022 was just 10 yards. In the following game, Pickett found TE Pat Freiermuth down the seam, a perfectly thrown ball, for 25 yards and six points.
They did it on the ground, RB Jaylen Warren showcasing a second gear in the open field he didn’t display last year as he outran Bills safety Jordan Poyer 62-yards to the end zone.
They did it situationally. Against Atlanta, they punched the ball in from close range, winning in critical situational football Mike Tomlin reps the heck out of in camp. Najee Harris finished a drive from a yard out. Jaylen Warren did it from eight.
They did it against backups (Tampa Bay, Atlanta). They did it against starters (Buffalo, twice). Whatever situation they found themselves in, they came out on top. This unit is going to punt eventually but it’s an A-plus summer, no question about it.
2. The Defense Did Its Thing
There were fewer questions about the Steelers’ defense than offense though the defense has more new and moving pieces. A brand-new inside linebacker room that looks appreciably better than a season ago…and the season before that…and the season before that. Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander are tone setters who fly downhill against the run. Cole Holcomb had a strong and steady summer, named one of our camp winners, while Mark Robinson is progressing as the room’s only holdover. There should be a heavy rotation here with the top three names.
Pittsburgh’s secondary may be among its biggest question marks, but the group wasn’t a liability this summer. Levi Wallace is underrated while Joey Porter Jr. picked off a pass in his NFL debut against the Buffalo Bills. Safety depth looks strong with Minkah Fitzpatrick, Damontae Kazee, and Keanu Neal as the top three, Kazee and Neal poised to mix and match depending on offensive personnel.
At outside linebacker, the Steelers seem as deep there as they’ve been in years. Far better than a year ago. Markus Golden came on strong after a quiet start to camp and ran over right tackles in his final two preseason games. And Nick Herbig, what more can you say about him? He’s obviously part of the team’s rotation and won’t be picking up scraps for snaps, either. Losing T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith would be an obvious blow for the defense but it’s no longer the anchor that’d pull this pass rush to the ocean floor either.
3. Special Teams Impressed
Punter Pressley Harvin III had a really good camp, especially in pin-deep moments. All six of his preseason punts landed inside the 20. Kicker Chris Boswell was his normal solid self, not asked to do a whole lot in order to keep his leg fresh. Calvin Austin III cemented himself as the team’s punt returner with several quality runbacks, highlighted by a 54-yard return against Buffalo.
Miles Boykin remains a quality gunner, Miles Killebrew got a hand on a punt, and generally, the coverage units were effective despite significant roster turnover. WR Dez Fitzpatrick and TE Rodney Williams showed up well as practice squad candidates who bought into what STs Coordinator Danny Smith was selling.
4. They’re Healthy
The biggest key of all. Whatever Pittsburgh is doing over there, bottle and sell it. The Steelers have to be one of the league’s healthiest teams entering Week One despite having among the most physical training camps, hitting every day they’re in pads. The offensive linemen just didn’t miss time. There were some hiccups at the finish line with Kevin Dotson, Nate Herbig, and James Daniels, but nothing long-term, and the Steelers managed to carry just 14 linemen throughout most of camp.
The stars all stayed intact. The top backups are good to go. Unfortunately, rookie CB Cory Trice Jr. was lost for the season but he’s the only player who had a realistic chance of making the 53-man roster to land on IR. Over the last two games, Mike Tomlin’s injury “report” was one sentence long, the group is healthy. Not something you expect to hear this time of year. Perhaps the only outstanding issues are to OG/C Nate Herbig’s shoulder (which never felt serious) and DL Larry Ogunjobi’s foot, which has robbed him quite a bit of action.
But overall, they’re good to go to face San Francisco. And have another two weeks to nurse any bumps and bruises.
