Steelers - Lions Preview: The Final Tuneup

Story by Yinzer Crazy Featured Steelers Writer Adam Davidson. Follow him on Twitter @ Adam_J_Davidson

Correcting course means acknowledging your flaws and making an effort to improve. If last week’s performance against Jacksonville is any indication, the Steelers’ offensive line must correct course before the regular season, or risk having the rest of the team sink along with them. The clock is ticking, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make a concerted effort against the Detroit Lions this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.

As the animated GIFs of tackle Dan Moore Jr and guard Kendrick Green whiffing on blocks made their final rounds on social media, news broke that head coach Mike Tomlin singled out the offensive line in the team’s Monday film session. The performance was so unacceptable by the team's standards that moves were made to bring in former Baltimore Ravens tackle Adrian Ealy. It likely won’t be the last move to make waves in the Steelers locker room.

There’s no debate that this year’s offensive line doesn’t pass muster, even as defensive leaders such as Cam Heyward step up to defend their teammates across the line of scrimmage. Now, the debate around town and around the league has centered on who’s most well-equipped to stand behind center and quarterback this offense. Is it the mobile veteran Mitch Trubisky? Could it be the dark-horse candidate Mason Rudolph? Or should the keys to the offense be handed over to rookie Kenny Pickett?

This week’s preseason matchup with the Detroit Lions will afford us a better glimpse into the makeup of these 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. It might even amount to an audition for Mason Rudolph - just not for the team we’re thinking.

“I think what we need is someone to really take the reins here, someone to really step up out of the two,” Campbell said of his top two backup quarterbacks Tim Boyle and David Blough. “I thought they both progressed last week. Now somebody needs to step up and run this offense, play efficient, play smart, take care of the football, get us first downs and when we get down into the red zone, score touchdowns for us.”

That man could be Mason Rudolph.

The move would make sense considering the Detroit Lions’ need for a capable starter behind Jared Goff. After all, coach Dan Campbell has experience seeing the fifth-year quarterback from Oklahoma State in action. Last year’s tie between Pittsburgh and Detroit saw Rudolph rally his team into position to kick a potential game-winning field goal in overtime before an unfortunate fumble by Pat Freiermuth dashed any hopes for a victory. The tie, for the time being, secured a non-losing season for the lowly Lions, and blighted a rollercoaster stretch of the season for the Steelers.

But the question remains: how much time will Mason Rudolph have on the field this Sunday? The answer may have been provided by both Cam Heyward and Lions coach Dan Campbell this week, who indicated the matchup will amount to a “tune-up” game for the starters prior to the commencement of the regular season. If that’s the case, Mitch Trubisky will be given full rein over the offense for the first half, while Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett will round out the other half.

Regardless of what the future holds for Rudolph, it’s been clear through two preseason games where the franchise is ultimately heading, and it’s full steam ahead with Pickett at the helm.

After two memorable preseason performances with the pressure of leading two-minute drives and game-winning drives, Kenny Pickett had shown poise, leadership, as well as great timing and accuracy on his throws. In fact, he’s thrown as many touchdowns as incomplete passes this preseason, one of which was a spike to stop the clock before putting the ball in the endzone last week against Jacksonville.

Still, Pickett sees it all as a work in progress, and is looking for more “consistency” in his own personal “tune-up” game.

“Just every day being the same guy, being reliable with my teammates every single week,” Pickett said of his hopes moving forward into the season, according to Steelers.com. “That’s just something you’ve got to build over time, so as time goes, I’ll get there.”

Apparently, the kid’s got a sense of humility in addition to skills on the football field. The one thing Kenny Pickett has been, at least in preseason action, is consistent. After an average, if not shaky, showing at the start of this year’s training camp, Pickett has taken ownership of his status as the team’s future franchise quarterback and their number-one pick, performing above expectations both home and away. The one thing he could work on and put on tape for this week’s preseason finale, however, is a shot downfield. So far this preseason, the longest pass through the air by a quarterback in black and gold is the 26-yard toe-tapping touchdown from Mason Rudolph to George Pickens in the teams’ preseason debut versus Seattle. Pickett has yet to attempt a pass over fifteen yards downfield.

While Mitch Trubisky and George Pickens will be attempting to hook-up on passes for the first half, Pickett will have plenty of opportunities to connect with one of his favorite preseason targets: wide receiver Tyler Vaughns.

The two have developed quite the chemistry in their brief time together with the Steelers, a fact highlighted by the two connecting for the game-winner versus Seattle. It’s a testament to the value of off-season activities such as rookie minicamp and for Vaughns, the hope is to stick around with the Steelers at least one more year after making the practice squad in 2021.

“I got a little connection with (Pickett in rookie minicamp), and then just coming into this camp, we just kept going and going.”

For many Steelers hopefuls, crisis means opportunity. Injuries have plagued the Steelers wide receivers this preseason, with Anthony Miller on Injured Reserve and Calvin Austin III missing his third straight preseason game with a foot injury. If the Steelers go into the regular season with six wideouts, something they’ve done in previous years under Mike Tomlin, Tyler Vaughns would be a solid bet to make the roster.

Elsewhere, many other Steelers are looking to stamp their name on the Steelers final 53-man roster. Following the unexpected release of outside linebacker Genard Avery after mandatory roster cutdowns, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be the primary backup behind Watt and Highsmith, a position well-fortified at the start of last year with the signing of Melvin Ingram. As usual, the spot will come down to who plays best on special teams, so watch for potential backups and rotational players such as Derrek Tuzska, Hamilcar Rashed Jr and Delontae Scott to rally to the ball and make plays in the return game.

Sunday is the team’s final tune-up, not just for backups and practice squad hopefuls, but for every member of the Steelers roster. In addition, fans will be revving up and getting ready for an eventful season full of promise and potential. As has been customary these past two weeks, fans will be excited to see who flashes on the field and who takes advantage of their opportunity. Pittsburgh will be collectively chanting “Kenny” and cheering their team onward into the regular season, hoping for a climactic end to a memorable 2022 preseason journey.