The Pittsburgh Steelers eked out a 19-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in their preseason finale, but the came after a sloppy first half. The Steelers managed to take a 10-10 tie into the locker room after a 53-yard completion from Skylar Thompson to Scotty Miller before the half set up a Ben Sauls field goal, but the overall play wasn’t good, and Miller said the coaches got on the Steelers about it at halftime.
“I don’t think we played a great first half. We heard about it in the locker room. But we got a little momentum boost at the end of the half, and it’s always good to do that. And then you can double up, get the ball back second half, and score again,” Miller told Steelers sideline reporter Missi Matthews on the KDKA broadcast.
Thompson’s pass to Miller was the highlight of a first half that was marred by a Mason Rudolph interception and two punts until Thompson came in and led the team on a touchdown drive. The Panthers responded with one of their own to take a 10-7 lead, but Miller helped get the team back in field goal range.
The Steelers took advantage of a short field after recovering a third-quarter fumble and took a lead they never relinquished on their first drive of the second half.
It’s no surprise that the Steelers got an earful in the locker room. Not only was the offense bad for most of the first half, but the defense, featuring Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. playing together in the secondary for the first time in game action, allowed Carolina to march down the field. A James Pierre interception in the end zone took away a scoring opportunity after Carolina started the scoring with a field goal, but it wasn’t a good first half for the Steelers.
Miller was a big part of Pittsburgh’s win, with his catch at the end of the first half the high point of a three-reception, 82-yard game. He’s played well throughout training camp and the preseason, and tonight’s performance could’ve solidified a roster spot for the veteran receiver.
Despite the win, it’s a performance team-wide that needs to get cleaned up. With the struggles mostly coming when the starters were in, it’s a little bit concerning. Even though it’s still the preseason, the regular season is just 17 days away, and after Pittsburgh’s starting defense reportedly struggled in a joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s an area where the Steelers need to play better. They’re too talented not to.
It’s still premature to push the panic button, or even reach for it, with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Cam Heyward all not playing defensively. But as Mike Tomlin said after the game, there are things that the Steelers need to clean up on both sides of the ball.
