Following each game in the 2024 Steelers season I will once again be giving you my 10 takes. These aren’t going to be hot takes that are meant to shock the world. This will be instant reactions to the game written just following the game when the emotions are high and the ideas are fresh. Included will be thoughts, observations, queries, and reasons that caused me to yell at the television. Here’s my takes from the Steelers’ 20-12 preseason loss to the Houston Texans.
Preseason Week 1 vs. Houston Texans
1. Danny Smith Needs a Hug – Thank goodness it was only preseason because special teams were circus. On the very first “dynamic” kickoff return by John Rhys Plumlee he was knocked down by a teammate. There was a bad snap and missed an extra point. Quez Watkins should be Watkins home right now after a fair catch with 15 yards to run and muffing a punt for a turnover. The punt coverage was bad, a holding on kick return. Cameron Johnston had the lone decent performance putting two punts inside the 10.
2. No. 2 Making A Case For No. 1 – Justin Fields got the start with Russell Wilson still on the mend and did well. He had plenty of zip on the ball and did an impressive job of using different arm angles to make completions. He had a solid run to the outside and his lone incompletion came on a play that looked to be a catch on the sideline by Van Jefferson. There were issues with two fumbled snaps. The first looked to be one Fields should have handled. No matter who caused it, they are unacceptable.
3. Second String Doing Their Thing – The defensive line draft picks in recent years have left us wanting more but maybe they are finally getting up to speed. DeMarvin Leal had a sack, a pass deflection and showed good pursuit all over the field. Isaiahh Loudermilk had a couple tackles and a pressure that nearly forced an interception. Montravius Adams had a sack and pass deflection. Even Jacob Slade had a couple of nice pass rushes. If this group has finally turned the corner, it will be great for the defensive line’s depth.
4. Wide-Open Competition – With all the talk about that guy in San Francisco, it was nice to get a look at what the in-house options look like. Jefferson was solid. Looks more like a No. 3 or 4 but I think he can make plays. It was nice to see Calvin Austin III get to run more of the route tree. He’s not the smoothest pass catcher but can add yards after the catch. Scotty Miller can be that deep threat with his speed. It’s not an excellent group but they do have the ability to make plays with speed (Miller/Austin), size (Jefferson/George Pickens) and Roman Wilson somewhere in the middle.
5. Like Breaking a Wild Horse – Payton Wilson’s potential has me paying attention. His athleticism was on display from the get-go. Between the tackles he was able to knife between blockers to make plays. He was in good position on several pass coverages as well. However, there were some areas of concern. There were missed tackles, overrunning passing targets and shallow angles to the outside that left him diving for ball carriers. The talent is obviously there. He just needs to tighten up the little things and add a little bulk, but the future is there to be a tackling machine.
6. Play-action – I will be charting the offense this weekend and I am curious to see the number of play-action plays. Not only did the Steelers run a bunch of them, but they were actually able to have success on the intermediate levels. Jefferson and Dez Fitzpatrick were hit on deep crossers. Miller and Austin had good gains on corner routes. This first game showed they are going to use it often and the production was good. I liked what Arthur Smith had going. The offense just couldn’t finish drives in the first half.
7. Moon vs. Johnson – The No. 4 outside linebacker position is up for grabs and both Jeremiah Moon and Kyron Johnson looked good. Moon seems to have the advantage at this point. He finished the game with six tackles and a sack and has a length and size advantage being five inches taller. Johnson finished with three tackles, including one for a loss. It doesn’t show up in the box score, but he had multiple dip-and-rip pass rushes that forced the quarterback out of the pocket. This is a competition to keep an eye on.
8. Strong and Deep Up Front – This may be the deepest group of offensive linemen in team history. In truth, they didn’t look that great in this game, especially in pass protection. But based on the talent level, the draft capital that has been spent here and the potential of the top 10 guys this is the best group, top to bottom, the Steelers have had in a long time. There will be some growing pains, and some positions are still up for grabs, but I think by the second quarter of the season they could be one of the top lines in the league, particularly when running the ball.
9. Better Late Than Never – Finding gems late in the draft is an art form. The Steelers may have found a defensive gem in this year’s draft. The size and physicality of Ryan Watts is a nice addition to the secondary. He is a forceful tackler and had a nice stop at the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. is a smaller corner but plays bigger than his size. He has shown playmaking ability in college and looked solid notching four tackles. Omar Khan has done an impressive job of adding quality depth to a lot of position groups.
10. Means to an Ends – Let’s talk tight ends. This isn’t necessarily a comment on this game. Smith’s offense has historically been tight end friendly, and many believe it will spell good things for Pat Freiermuth and company this season. This game is obviously just a small sample, but it provided three targets, three receptions,10 yards and a touchdown.
Now I didn’t expect Smith to show his whole hand in this game, but I still have my concerns with a group of tight ends who struggle to get open versus man coverage. Play-action will help and I think they can be an advantage in the red zone but overall, I don’t see a huge jump coming from this group.
