For the final time this preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers hit the field Thursday night, this time visiting the Carolina Panthers. In a predictably ugly preseason affair, the Steelers came out with a 19-10 win. Pittsburgh ends its preseason with a 2-1 record, while the Panthers finish theirs at 0-3.
The Steelers got the ball first, and their first drive was filled with flags. A holding penalty nearly forced a punt, but Carolina bailed the offense out with a pass interference call on 3rd and long. The Steelers weren’t able to do much else with that penalty-filled drive and had to punt just after reaching midfield.
Jack Plummer led the Panthers’ offense on the field, but Trevor Etienne stole the show with a quick 28-yard run. Jalen Ramsey had a chance to contain him behind the line of scrimmage later in the drive and did, but threw him down after the whistle for a 15-yard penalty. The Steelers’ defense got off the field, but that penalty allowed Ryan Fitzgerald to kick a 43-yard field goal, giving Carolina a 3-0 lead.
Pittsburgh’s offense looked even worse on its second drive. Two short gains led to 3rd and 3. Mason Rudolph had to scramble and ended up throwing the ball away, leading to a punt. Carolina’s next drive was similar. On 3rd and 9, Plummer missed his receiver, with both Jack Sawyer and DeMarvin Leal getting pressure and affecting the throw. Carolina’s punt gave Pittsburgh the ball at its own 22.
Kaleb Johnson had two nice runs to begin the Steelers’ next drive. However, Mason Rudolph followed that up with an interception, with Lathan Ransom giving the Panthers the ball at the 38-yard line. Carolina took advantage of that field position, working their way to Pittsburgh’s 5-yard line. However, in a mad scramble, Plummer missed his receiver in the end zone and was picked off by James Pierre. Unfortunately, Derrick Harmon suffered a knee injury during this drive and had to leave the game.
Skylar Thompson entered at quarterback and continued to look phenomenal. He hit Scotty Miller for two big gains of 13 and 16 yards. He also found Ke’Shawn Williams for a 16-yard gain, as well. Thompson capped off the drive with a 24-yard touchdown strike to Lance McCutcheon. The extra point gave the Steelers a 7-3 lead over the Panthers.
Carolina got the ball just ahead of the two-minute warning. The Panthers would have went 3-and-out if not for a holding penalty by Cole Holcomb. Taking advantage of an extra set of downs, Raheem Blackshear quickly gained 17 yards up to Pittsburgh’s 29. On 3rd and 6, Plummer scrambled and picked up 18 yards, putting the ball inside the Steelers’ 10. It took a few plays, but on 3rd and goal, Plummer found James Mitchell wide open in the end zone. Fitzgerald’s extra point gave Carolina a 10-7 lead.
Despite getting the ball with just 12 seconds left in the half, Thompson found Miller for a massive 53-yard gain. That allowed Ben Sauls to kick a 38-yard field goal, tying the game at 10-10 going into halftime.
Carolina started the second half strong with some nice pickups, but Bryce Perkins was strip sacked by Julius Welschof. Mark Robinson recovered the fumble, giving the Steelers the ball at Carolina’s 40-yard line.
The Steelers worked their way down the field quickly, thanks to a few big pickups from Trey Sermon. However, the drive was cut short with two holding penalties from Robert Woods and Ryan McCollum. The Steelers had to settle for a 50-yard field goal, which Sauls made, giving Pittsburgh a 13-10 lead.
Carolina’s next drive was short-lived. Perkins managed to move the chains once, but Carolina’s offense was shut down on its next set of downs. The punt went through the end zone, and the Steelers got the ball with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
That’s when Lew Nichols made his appearance. His catch-and-run for 23 yards, and a nine-yard pickup up the middle helped get Pittsburgh moving down the field. However, two penalties from Ryan McCollum hurt them. He had a block in the back penalty earlier in the drive, as well as a false start on 4th and 1. That forced Pittsburgh to settle for a field goal, with Sauls making another long attempt from 49 yards away, extending their lead to 16-10.
Perkins made some fun plays to start the fourth quarter but was sacked for a big loss on 3rd and 5. Carolina punted the ball back to Pittsburgh with 9:08 remaining. Starting at their own 44-yard line, Logan Woodside hit Williams for a 15-yard gain. Sermon then picked up 30 yards around the left edge, getting Pittsburgh into the red zone. The drive eventually stalled inside the 10, but Ben Sauls converted a 28-yard field goal, giving Pittsburgh a 19-10 lead.
Carolina got the ball back with just over six minutes left in the game. The Panthers methodically worked their way to midfield, chewing up a ton of clock in the process. Dinking and dunking their way down the field, they eventually made their way to the red zone. Carolina ran out the clock, and the Steelers escaped with a 19-10 win to close their preseason.
The Steelers have some time off, with the next game being their Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets on September 7.
