If the season ended today, which it does not, George Pickens, Kenny Pickett and Gunner Olszewski would be all-pros while Jaylen Warren and Anthony McFarland wouldn’t be far behind them. On the flip-side, the offensive line was ‘OK’ and the same could probably be said for the defensive line as well. Those were just a few of the observations following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ last second 32-25 win over Seattle.
Offensive Observations
-The QB controversy isn’t going anywhere but I’d give an advantage to Mitchell Trubisky (4/7 65 yards 1 TD) who showed accuracy, escapability and command of the offense. Mason Rudolph (9/15 93 yards 1 TD) threw a beautiful touchdown to George Pickens and looked confident at times but he also had some struggles. Kenny Pickett (13/15 95 yards 2 TD) started the second half and went 5 for 5 with a TD pass. Then he ended the game with a 25-yard TD pass to Tyler Vaughns for the win. He too showed the ability to get out of pressure and extend plays. I think the biggest issue is the competition each played against.
-Speaking of George Pickens (3 Rec 43 yards 1 TD)… He had a few catches to go along with some solid blocking as well. My guess is you’ll see less and less of him as the regular season approaches. He’s locked in as a starting wideout.
-Gunner Olszewski (3 Rec 47 yards 1 TD) isn’t Julian Edelman, but he showed that he can be a guy very similar. Good quicks out of the slot.
-Dan Moore has to be better in both run and pass blocking. Same can be said for Chuks Okorafor. Way too inconsistent.
-Both McFarland (7 for 56 yards) and Warren (6 for 36 yards) flashed during the first half. McFarland showed some elusiveness and broke a few tackles while Warren is a bowling ball with legs. Very hard to tackle as he gets his pass low to the ground. Master Teague had some good hard runs in the second half.
-There are going to be several disappointed receivers when final cuts happen in September. There are some really talented, hard-working guys.
Defensive Observations
-Myles Jack is such a steadying presence at ILB. Had some really positive moments in limited action.
-With no Cam Heyward, Tyson Alualu or Larry Ogunjobi, it wasn’t surprising the D-Line was gashed a bit. Chris Wormley might end up being the odd man out as we discussed on the podcast this week. He just isn’t good enough against the run.
-Robert Spillane has had a good camp but he looked defeated to me any time he was in coverage. If this were 1970’s football he’d be a stud. It isn’t and he scares me in pass coverage.
-In fairness to Spillane, he wasn’t the only LB who struggled in coverage. Both Buddy Johnson and Mark Robinson both had moments to forget as well. Robinson eventually had the strip sack that led to the winning score so kudos to him for that.
-Devin Bush though… I honestly don’t know what to say. Since his ACL injury he hasn’t looked close to the player he was before. He again struggled with his run fits and took himself out of plays before they often got going.
-Secondary tackling needs to improve. Justin Layne, Ahkello Witherspoon and Arthur Maulet each had some very straightforward tackles go awry. in fact, I counted three misses by Layne and he’s already on the bubble.
-Tre Norwood is just a good football player. He’s not flashy but he’s smart and does what he’s supposed to do. I think he has a clear-cut role on this defense.
Special Teams Observations
-Steven Sims was a surprise punt returner and not only did he return one very nicely but he’s as good as anyone at faking like he’s going to catch it.
-The two individuals you saw kicking and punting will not be on the roster. Nick Sciba should attract some attention from other teams once he’s released.
