Following each game in the 2025 Pittsburgh 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 while still in that period 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. These are 10 takes from the Steelers preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.
Preseason Week 3 vs Carolina Panthers
1. No Harm, So Foul – Why can’t we have nice things? Back-to-back seasons with the first-round pick injuring a knee. It sounds like it is a knee sprain and he avoided a major injury. I was all set to talk about how Derrick Harmon was an immovable object on the defensive line. Holding his depth on the line of scrimmage. Looking better with each game.
And then the injury. He’s expected to miss “a couple weeks” with a knee sprain, who gets the start? Isaiahh Loudermilk has the experience. How about two-sack Yahya Black? I think he could be the best option.
2. Get It All Out Now – You can’t start the game much uglier than the Steelers did tonight. Eight first half penalties, five on the first offensive/defensive drives. A horrible interception thrown by Mason Rudolph. A fumble by Jaylen Warren on his second touch. He also slipped down twice. There were too many missed tackles to count but they included misses by Keeanu Benton, Joey Porter Jr. and Chuck Clark. Missed sacks and blown coverages on defense. Preseason is a suitable time to get all the ugly out.
3. QB Calls – If you haven’t seen it yet, Alex Kozora did a great article on five possible trades that the team could consider. The first one talks about Skylar Thompson, potentially the odd man out in the quarterback room, being an option. What if a team calls and asks about Mason Rudolph? Thompson, as well as Rudolph, has performed well this preseason. He has starting experience and seems to understand the offense well. Teams like New Orleans and Indianapolis may look to add to their QB room. I don’t see one as much better than the other, so either could be a possibility of being moved.
4. Spreading It Around – For many seasons, we have watched the Steelers quarterbacks avoid the middle of the field. The primary passing zones were outside the numbers. There has been an obvious shift this preseason to use the entire field. I don’t have the numbers on this game yet, but through the first two games, the Steelers threw the ball outside the number 33 times and inside the number 38 times (53.5 percent). For comparison, in the 2024 preseason games, they through the ball outside 44 times and inside the numbers 29 times (39.7 percent). It’s a much-needed change.
5. Interior Design – Who is going to be the reserve offensive linemen on the roster? It’s a question that is still up in the air. Ryan McCollum saw his first preseason action, and it looked like it. He had some struggles as a blocker, and that also included a false start and an illegal block in the back on a screen. Andrus Peat could be a good late-preseason addition. On the plays, I focused on how he looked at the part and being and emergency tackle helps his cause. Max Scharping is another veteran who added value showing his ability to play center. I think Peat makes the 53, and it’s a toss-up between the other two.
6. The Leal Deal – Inconsistency has been DeMarvin Leal’s calling card in his career. He seems to run hot and cold, and this game personified that synopsis. On the positive side, he had three tackles, a couple of pressures, and hit the quarterback’s arm forcing an incompletion. On the other side, he was called for being offsides as well as a facemask penalty. The road to making the team is narrowing. Maybe an injury will help him out, but his prospects don’t look great.
7. Like Nuke LaLoosh – The pitcher from the movie Bull Durham said to his catcher Crash Davis, “I want to announce my presence with authority.” If you listened closely tonight, you could probably hear Jalen Ramsey say the same thing. Knifing into the backfield for a tackle for a loss wasn’t enough. He had to drive the running back further and toss him to the ground drawing the penalty. Ramsey is physical. That’s how he plays. He had three tackles in his limited time in the game. It’s going to be fun to watch what he can do this year.
8. Better Call Sauls – The young man performed well. A player like him has no chance to make the Steelers roster with an All-Pro kicker in front of him. But every kick he attempted was a chance to show other teams what he can do. He did is best Chris Boswell impression going 4 for 4 on his field goals, including a 50-yard field goal. He has good form, plenty of leg and has effortless follow-through. It may not be right away. It may not be this season. But Ben Sauls should find his way on to an NFL roster at some point.
9. Something Brue-ing – Some players are good fits for the offense, and some are good fits for the defense. It takes a special brand of player to be a good special teamer. You have to be athletic obviously, but you need to be able to beat blocks. You need to take good angles. You need to be a sure tackler. Carson Bruener looks like that type of player. He had 15 total tackles in the three games, and at least four or five of those were on special teams. It’s a 50/50 shot he makes the team in a battle with Mark Robinson, but you can bet they are going to try to keep him around if he doesn’t make the initial roster.
10. Ready for Return? – Calvin Austin was the only Steeler to return punts last year. He is dealing with an oblique injury, and there is a question about his availability for Week 1. Scotty Miller has one punt return in six seasons. Kenneth Gainwell has none in four seasons. Jaylen Warren has none. Kaleb Johnson and Roman Wilson had none in college. If Austin can’t go in Week 1, who is the punt returner? The only player to return punts in the preseason for Pittsburgh was Ke’Shawn Williams. Inquiring minds want to know.
