Game overview:
The Steelers, once again, rolled out their mostly-1st-team to face an opponent going with their backups and backups to backups...and, once again, the Steelers lost their preseason game with such an advantage.
The Steelers got up 14-0 in a blink, using their overwhelming talent advantage...but then lost it all from there. The Steelers go (0-3) for the preseason.
Not that wins and losses from the preseason really matter, BUT the Steelers have pushed formerly-beloved, as recent as last year, NFL starting QBs Russell Wilson and Justin Fields along with the supporting 1st-team cast and 1st-team defenders early in games to face guys/defenders getting cut as I write this – and the Steelers didn’t dominate like you would have hoped. The defense looks fine. The offense? Welcome to the Steel City, Artie Smith!
Detroit went with deep backups here, and they struggled with the Steelers 1st-team, but started giving the Steelers 2nd-team fits and then on down the line they just wore out Pittsburgh to the finish line. Detroit has been ‘game’ most of the preseason, but played backups all the way.
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- Despite my ragging on the Steelers here, this game was a step forward for Russell Wilson (3-4 for 40 yards, 0 TD/0 INT), I guess. He looked more comfortable here...looked like his normal (current day) self.
And he was looking for George Pickens (2-26-0/2) almost exclusively. FYI
Calvin Austin (0-0-0/0) was a ghost.
Van Jefferson (2-18-0/2) they are insistent on pushing, still.
-- Other Pitt QBs...
Justin Fields (3-4 for 40 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 2-4-0) continues to look ‘unimpressive’ against B/C/D-team defenses. No way he is beating out Russell Wilson this season, unless injury hits.
Kyle Allen (3-5 for 68 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) came in after Fields, one of my favorite stories of the preseason...is how good Kyle Allen looks (and NOT a soul agrees with me, or cares). Allen came in, got sacked/hit a bunch of times at first, then hit a nice 59-yard bomb...and later hit a 40-yard bomb that the receiver caught and just toe tapped out of bounds for a no-catch.
I was wondering if the NFL noticed Allen...that if he got cut, would certain teams pounce on him? Well...one team paid attention – the Steelers kept him.
It would not be crazy if something happened to Russ...that it wouldn’t be long before we heard the Allen whispers, as Fields flopped as a replacement.
-- The first TD of the game was a Cordarrelle Patterson (3-31-1) sprint up the middle and just outran the defense for a 31-yard score. He’s still got gas in the tank at age 33...
Patterson gets a little more interesting by the moment. Either he is the cuff for Warren...or Najee...in the RB split backfield situation.
-- You know who played a nice game? Hendon Hooker (12-20 for 114 yards, 1 TD/1 INT, 10-93-0). This was the first time I saw him start to ‘get it’ as an NFL QB this preseason. It wasn’t exquisite, but it was not bad – Hooker was making progressions and 2nd-3rd reads and making better/smart throws here. He still tries to run too much, and he’s not as fast as he thinks he is...but he can move a little.
A step up for Hooker, who won the #2 job here officially today.
-- Darnell Washington (0-0-0/0) worked all 2nd-team and into 3rd-team. It looks like there is nothing here. He didn’t have a great camp as a receiver and is now lost to just being a blocker, a great blocker.
-- Lions UDFA SAF Loren Strickland (5 tackles) is terrific. One of the better UDFA IDP hidden gems of 2024. I think he has made the team, officially...he’s that good. So quick to the ball and is a ‘hitter’, a very nice tackler. He’ll be moving on up the DRD top 300 this week...into the top 100.
-- Speaking of Steelers QBs not looking bad, rookie UDFA John Rhys Plumlee (3-4 for 32 yards, 1-4-0) didn’t look bad here at all. He returned kicks and punts, had one nice 38-yard kick return that he looked like he might ‘house’. Then he played QB and was plausible as a passer with that threat to run...he’s a ‘plus’ runner at QB.
I bring this up to say...I bet/I wonder if Sean Payton is eyeing this as a possible Taysom Hill 2.0 opportunity. Plumlee was cut by the Steelers, so we’ll see where he winds up tomorrow.
