I’ve discussed the Pittsburgh Steelers’ up-for-grabs gunner spots as much as anyone this offseason. You don’t have to tell me twice to nerd out about special teams. Though the Steelers dedicate plenty of time to working on punts and punt coverage during training camp special teams periods, it’s hard to evaluate performance. The reps aren’t live (no tackling), and the team filters in so many gunners, it’s hard to know who has the edge.
That made Friday’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans all the more critical. Special teams are a critical path to earning those final roster spots but really can only be judged in game-action, not half-speed camp reps.
So who got first crack at gunner? Who came in after? And how did they perform?
Who Got The Reps?
There were only two sets of gunner reps in this game, Pittsburgh frequently punting in the first half but just once in the second half. WR Dez Fitzpatrick and CB Beanie Bishop Jr. got the first four reps, an extensive look. CB Darius Rush and S Ryan Watts received the final chance in the second half.
How Did They Do?
Short answer. Not great. Punt coverage in general was ugly. Here’s the net yardage for new P Cameron Johnston on all five of his punts.
1st Punt – 21-Yard Net (18-Yard Return)
2nd Punt – 23-Yard Net (22-Yard Return + 5 Yard Penalty)
3rd Punt – 35-Yard Net (Fair Catch)
4th Punt – 24-Yard Net (Touchback)
5th Punt – 40-Yard Net (10-Yard Return)
Just preseason, of course, but some horrendous numbers. The gunners alone aren’t responsible for all of this, but they didn’t help. On the first punt, both had problems. Fitzpatrick got widened and wasn’t even close to the returner, despite having the inside lane off his release. Perhaps Johnston miss-hit the ball and it was supposed to go more left (coffin corner punts are worked in the left corner for a right-legged punter like Johnston). But he’s out of the play.
Bishop meets the return man but misses the tackle, juked by ex-Steeler Steven Sims. It’s an 18-yard return that produced an ugly 21-yard net punt.
The next rep also has problems. Procedurally, Fitzpatrick, the gunner to the bottom, runs himself out of bounds and takes a 5-yard penalty. I get what Fitzpatrick is thinking as the jammers widen him out of bounds but smartly don’t make contact him with. Fitzpatrick loses the leeway to get back inbounds he’d otherwise be afforded.
Fitzpatrick and Bishop can’t beat the vices/double-teams they face. Fitzpatrick gets way too far upfield, behind the returner, creating a path for Tank Dell to find a lane along the right sideline. It’s a 22-yard return with the 5-yard penalty tacked on.
The next two reps were generally uneventful for the gunners, though the touchback was a pain point that also killed net. For Rush and Watts on the final rep, Rush did well to disengage initially but couldn’t get free at the end. Watts had a tough time against the vice.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the results here weren’t impressive. Fitzpatrick and Bishop struggled despite ample opportunity. Stuck on blocks, missing tackles, long returns, touchbacks. It keeps the gunner battle wide open heading into the final two preseason games. Whoever gets the job needs to do better than what the Steelers saw Friday night.
