It’s OK to be excited. For the second week in a row the Pittsburgh Steelers have looked pretty damn good. Yes, this is just the preseason and these games mean nothing in the standings. But can you imagine if the Steelers looked awful? If Kenny Pickett was brutal? If the defense was getting torched? None of those things have occurred so enjoy it! It’s OK to be excited for this team. Now, here are my rapid-fire thoughts from the game.
Offense
-What can you say? A couple of first downs and then boom! Jaylen Warren for 62 yards to the house. Then a one play TD drive, Kenny Pickett to Par Freiermuth. Great start two straight weeks now.
-Broderick Jones was better than he was last week but he was still beaten badly for a sack that forced a Chris Boswell field goal. He’s not ready to start and that’s OK.
-Darnell Washington might make a living in the middle of the field. He takes up an incredible amount of space. He could be a big time chain lover. We know he’s a potential Red Zone nightmare and that was displayed when he drew a pass interference flag in the end zone.
-Kendrick Green… I’m not sure why the Steelers insist on playing him so much. He can’t be their number two center can he? Seems like someone else should be getting a shot especially after yet another errant shotgun snap.
-Najee Harris is absolutely the starting running back on this team. Do I understand why some fans think Warren should get the nod? I do. Harris hasn’t really looked good in two straight weeks. But none of us should mistake who the better overall back is.
-Call me crazy but I still think Gunner Olszewski makes this roster. He had a nice punt return and had five receptions for 41 yards. Mike Tomlin likes veterans and I think he likes Olszewski a lot.
-Mitchell Trubisky bounced back from a so-so performance last week. He finished 10 of 13 for 78 yards and a TD. Mason Rudolph didn’t get as much time as he did last week and went 5 for 7 for 52 yards.
-Anthony McFarland carried the ball NINE times tonight for just TWO yards. That’s not good.
Defense
-Great first series from Markus Golden and Nick Herbig. Both brought pressure and got to the ball quickly and with some authority. Herbig continued his solid play with a strip sack and tackle for loss as well.
-Defense was solid in the first quarter. Can’t dismiss the number of bad Bills’ penalties but hey, the D did their job.
-DB Elijah Riley is pushing for a roster spot. He caught a deflected pass for an interception in the end zone but his tackling was important and solid as well.
-Good for Joey Porter Jr! He collected his first interception just a few plays after getting on the field.
-What a play by Chandon Sullivan! He came off the edge, tipped the pass up and then dove for the interception.
Special Teams
-Terrific return by Calvin Austin III on his first opportunity. Blocking was excellent.
-Pressley Harvin’s first half consisted of mostly mid-field punts meaning he was trying to land them deep and he largely succeeded. The Bills had poor field position the entire half. his average wasn’t great (38.2) but he had a 52-yarder and all five of his punts were downed inside the 20.
-Special Teams captain Miles Killebrew got his hand on a punt deflecting it slightly.
-Really nice coverage tonight by all of the units. Danny Smith should be happy about that.
-Chris Boswell made his debut and promptly nailed all of his kicks. He was three for three on his PATs and two for two on his field goals.
Looking Ahead
The Steelers will finish the preseason with a trip to Atlanta. They’ll play the Falcons on Thursday night. That means there will be roughly 17 days until their season opening game. I do not expect many starters to play in Atlanta but it’s hard to say. I just can’t imagine that Tomlin hasn’t already seen enough from the guys he knows have to contribute.
Still to Be Decided?
I think Harvin did enough to keep his job this evening and just as importantly, he’s also the holder for Chris Boswell’s kicks… Has Tanner Muse done enough to warrant keeping a fifth linebacker? Do the Steelers go with six or seven defensive linemen? I tend to think both the kick and punt return jobs are still a bit fluid but I’ll give the advantage to CAIII on punts and McFarland on kicks.
Feature image courtesy yahoo sports
