The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to play their starters in their final preseason game on Saturday against the Detroit Lions, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Thursday.
“Our mindset is to play all those that are healthy, out of respect to the old third preseason game, in terms of it being a dry rehearsal, but we have a desire to maybe move on from some known regulars rather quickly to provide an opportunity for others to show what they’re capable of in respect to the old fourth preseason game model,” Tomlin said via Steelers.com
He added that Russell Wilson will start at quarterback, which isn’t a surprise since Wilson said yesterday that the starting offense would play against Detroit.
With the NFL moving to three preseason games in 2021, it eliminated a game for players on the roster bubble to try and prove their worth. It also eliminated a tune-up game for the starters, so the Steelers will treat this game as both, and won’t hesitate to quickly pull guys they’re familiar with.
While Tomlin didn’t name anyone in particular, it’s safe to assume that players such as George Pickens, T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick may not see as much playing time as the Steelers look to rotate other guys in.
The Steelers’ first-team offense has been lackluster through their first two preseason games, so it’s a unit that will be eager to show what it is capable of in the third and final preseason game. Wilson in particular caught a lot of flak for his performance against the Buffalo Bills, so it’ll be interesting to see what he’s able to do against Detroit.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line has also been a weakness, so that’s another unit that is going to be one to watch against the Lions. We’ll see just how much the starters play on Saturday, but the Steelers are going to be looking for their first preseason win, and ending the preseason on a high note wouldn’t be the worst thing heading into the regular season.
