Takeaways from Steelers Preseason Win Over Bucs

We can finally say that Football is back! The Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in their first preseason game of the year this past Friday Night, playing in a stadium that was very familiar to the fans in black and gold. An environment where you could reflect on Super Bowl 43, as well as the remarkable stiff-arm game by Vance McDonald. Very legendary moments in the Steelers defining history. There are a lot of things to be excited about with a very interesting offseason and an impactful draft that sets the tone for rebuilding a championship caliber team. So how did it play out?

The first-string offense led by Kenny Pickett showed that they have been working to get the offense back on track all throughout camp. Pickett found his key targets in Pat Freiermuth, Diontae Johnson, and George Pickens, on the opening drive. Kenny finished 6/7, 70 yards, and an absolute dime to Pickens for a Touchdown. 

The defense showed up big time on the first couple of the Bucs' drives, not letting Tampa Bay have much success until towards the end of the quarter when Baker Mayfield found Trey Palmer in the back of the end zone. We were able to see some great tackling from the new addition at linebacker, Kwon Alexander. 

In the second quarter, Mitch Trubisky didn’t exactly show out, going 1 for 4 with an interception. Could he be on the hot seat at number two quarterback?

Running back and notorious preseason standout Anthony McFarland also displayed some of the speed he is capable of using on the edge, with some great runs, which helped the Steelers get in the end zone despite Trubisky failing to move the ball down the field.

Late in the second half, Mason Rudolph entered, and he was able to find a way to get some points on the board, leading the 2-Minute Drill to a field goal before the end of the half.

In the second half, Rudolph launched a 67-yard bomb for a touchdown to the speed demon we’ve all been waiting to see since his injury put him out all last season, Calvin Austin III. 

Austin was moved in a lot of different spots, getting playing time with both Mitch and Mason. Matt Canada showed some of the skill he can have in the reverse game as he picked up great yardage on multiple runs. Austin really showed that he has that gadget like identity that can be a mismatch in both the pass and run game. 

A defensive standout in the second half that was promising to see was Nick Herbig picking up a few sacks and showing his quickness to get to the outside. Herbig is someone that is a valuable option at the pass rushing position behind Watt and Highsmith. His brother, Nate Herbig, got some playing time to see where he fits in the plan for the offensive line that is a big question mark at the moment. Former Wisconsin teammate with Nick, Keeanu Benton, was able to pick up a few tackles and show his strength on the defensive line that will be a great addition to the mix with Ogunjobi and Heyward.

For most of the game we really got to see a lot of Broderick Jones. Tomlin really wanted to see what the 1st Rounder had in store. Jones showed great peaks of pass protection throughout the game but didn’t seem to have the high-quality run blocking that we have seen from him at Georgia. Late in the game, he was blown by on the edge for a sack while also getting a holding flag. It wasn’t quite the best look for him in his first game, but much to look forward to as the growth continues. 

The Steelers picked up the win 27-17 with a lot of things to look forward to as the season progresses. Steelers fans can’t expect that we will get all the answers from one preseason game in the books, but many cuts and decisions will be made based on how the team plays overall throughout the next couple weeks.