The preseason performance by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting offense against the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons was rather impressive.
In five drives, Pittsburgh’s starting offense ran 28 plays, gained an impressive 315 yards and scored five touchdowns, putting together a largely perfect preseason.
Among that starting offense, second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett was outstanding, while backup running back Jaylen Warren and No. 3 tight end Connor Heyward were solid overall.
Knowing how well the offense performed in the preseason, it comes as no surprise that the trio of Pickett, Warren and Heyward were named the highest-graded players in the preseason at their respective positions by Pro Football Focus Monday.
Pickett graded out at a 94.7 in the preseason, completing 13-of-15 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns.
“It’s hard to have a better preseason than Pickett did to begin his first full season as the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Not only did his 94.7 PFF grade lead all quarterbacks, but the Steelers scored a TD in all five drives he led from under center. The team couldn’t have asked for more than that,” PFF’s Jim Wyman writes, highlighting Pickett as the highest-graded quarterback.
Right away in the preseason Pickett was at another level. Opening up against the Buccaneers on the road, Pickett was nearly perfect, going 5-for-6 for 70 yards on the first drive of the preseason. He hit Diontae Johnson three times before firing a dart to George Pickens for a 33-yard touchdown in his lone series of the game.
In Week Two of the preseason against the Buffalo Bills, Pickett was good again, hitting Pat Freiermuth for a 25-yard touchdown up the seam on a great back-shoulder throw for a touchdown. Then against the Atlanta Falcons, Pickett closed the preseason in style, hitting Johnson on a 33-yard go-ball down the left sideline on the third play from scrimmage. A few plays later, he hit George Pickens down the other sideline for a 35-yard gain.
He was completely in command of the offense. His accuracy led the way, and he was much more comfortable taking shots down the field to his playmakers.
Along with Pickett, Warren was the highest-graded running back, thanks to his big 62-yard touchdown run against the Bills, finding daylight and ripping off the explosive play.
“Warren is projected to back up Najee Harris in Pittsburgh this season, but the Steelers may have a two-headed monster in the backfield if Warren’s preseason performance carries over to the regular season,” Wyman writes regarding Warren being the highest-graded running back in the preseason. “The 2022 undrafted free agent carried the ball only six times, but he accumulated 89 rushing yards and two scores. He also averaged 6.00 yards after contact per carry, the third-highest mark of the preseason.”
Even outside of the 62-yard touchdown run against the Bills, Warren was explosive in the backfield. He ran hard against the Buccaneers and added an 8-yard touchdown run against the Falcons, capping off a strong preseason overall.
Then there’s Heyward, who played 38 snaps in the preseason at tight end and running back. Heyward had five carries for 16 yards and added six receptions for 73 yards in the preseason with a touchdown, grading out at a 91.8 from PFF.
“The second-year tight end caught six passes for 73 yards and a touchdown this preseason, finishing second at the position in yards per route run. He showed that he’s more than a feel-good story in Pittsburgh, as he figures to make a bigger impact in 2023,” Wyman writes regarding Heyward.
Heyward has proven to be quite the piece for the Steelers offensively. He can play fullback, running back, can line up in the slot, and is a very sure-handed receiving tight end overall. The Steelers very clearly believe in his overall versatility and that should lead to more snaps and overall looks in 2023 and beyond.
The preseason might have been a sign of things to come for the Steelers offensively in 2023, and especially for the trio of players highlighted by PFF.
