Things couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start last night for the Pittsburgh Steelers even if they scripted it—and to be clear, the NFL only scripts its games in the regular season, not the preseason. But whether contrived or not, this team understands that the way they played tonight is what they need to be doing every game.
Getting the ball first after the Buffalo Bills deferred, QB Kenny Pickett and the first-string offense found the end zone in just six plays spanning 86 yards. After a key third-and-8 conversion to WR Allen Robinson II, it was RB Jaylen Warren who popped off for a 62-yard touchdown run. The defense responded with a three-and-out against QB Josh Allen and company.
“Just starting from the jump, we started off the game with a touchdown, a big run by Jaylen, and then came out and got a three-and-out”, OLB Alex Highsmith told Missi Matthews during the broadcast of last night’s game, via the team’s website. “I feel like we set the tone from the start of the game. That’s how it’s got to be every game. You’ve got to set the tone from the very beginning. I feel like we did that tonight”.
The Steelers then responded with a one-play, 25-yard touchdown drive, Pickett finding TE Pat Freiermuth for the score after WR Calvin Austin III set them up with a 57-yard punt return. It was all three phases contributing to the hot start that saw Pittsburgh jump out to an early 14-0 lead.
They have gotten things started off hot two weeks in a row after Pickett and company opened the first preseason game with a 10-play touchdown drive, which also ended in an explosive-play connection, WR George Pickens on the receiving end of a 32-yard catch-and-run score.
The Steelers had two opening-drive touchdowns all of last season, first against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth game of the season and then in the 15th week against the Carolina Panthers. They came away with points a total of six times, with four field goals adding to the total. Only one, their opening possession of the finale against the Cleveland Browns, ended in a turnover.
Their average opening drive in 2022 spanned 7.7 plays, traveling 31.6 yards across 4:07 of game time. They scored on 35.3 percent of their opening drives but with a touchdown just 11.8 percent. The Steelers ranked tied for 19th in first-drive scoring and tied for 22nd in first-drive touchdowns.
While they were in the top five in plays run and duration, they were well in the bottom half of the league in yardage. They tied for seventh in the fewest opening drives ending in a turnover, however.
