The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

By Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

It’s dangerous to draw sweeping conclusions from one preseason game.

The competition isn’t the same. Coaches aren’t showing their full playbook. Players are being evaluated in very specific situations that don’t always reflect how they’ll be used during the regular season.

That said, preseason games absolutely matter.

They tell us who looks comfortable, who’s translating strong training camp performances into game action, and where legitimate roster battles are beginning to take shape.

After watching the Steelers’ first preseason game, there was plenty to like — and a few things that definitely caught my attention for the wrong reasons.

The Good

Mike McCarthy’s offense already looks different

The biggest takeaway had nothing to do with a single player.

It was the offense itself.

For what feels like the first time in years, the Steelers consistently attacked the middle of the field. The ball was distributed to multiple playmakers, the concepts looked varied, and the offense simply felt… modern.

No, we didn’t see the entire playbook.

Nobody does that in August.

But even getting a glimpse of what Mike McCarthy wants this offense to become was refreshing.

It finally looked like an offense designed to create easy throws instead of asking the quarterback to make difficult ones over and over again.

The quarterbacks looked prepared

Mason Rudolph settled in after a slow start, but the real story was the play of Will Howard and Drew Allar.

Both quarterbacks looked remarkably comfortable considering how long it had been since either had played meaningful football.

Howard efficiently moved the offense and developed a nice connection with Robert Tonyan.

Allar looked calm throughout the second half, spread the football around, and consistently got the ball into space where his receivers could create after the catch.

Neither quarterback looked overwhelmed.

That’s exactly what you want to see from young players.

Germie Bernard looked ready for a role

The Steelers drafted Germie Bernard to compete for the No. 3 receiver job.

Based on one preseason game, he certainly looked capable of doing exactly that.

He consistently made tough catches, looked reliable, and gave the quarterbacks someone they could trust throughout the game.

If this continues, it’s going to be difficult to keep him off the field once the regular season begins.

Robert Tonyan backed up the training camp hype

Every training camp seems to have a few players who generate constant buzz.

Sometimes that disappears once the lights come on.

That wasn’t the case for Robert Tonyan.

He continued exactly what people had been reporting from Latrobe — making plays, catching everything thrown his way, and proving to be a dependable target.

If the Steelers can pair Tonyan with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, they’ll have another dimension they can use to create matchup problems throughout the season.

Kaden Wetjen showed exactly why he was drafted

The biggest explosive play of the game belonged to Kaden Wetjen.

His long catch-and-run highlighted the speed and playmaking ability that made him such an intriguing draft pick.

Most fans immediately think about special teams when they think about Wetjen because of his return ability.

But seeing him operate offensively raises another interesting possibility.

If the Steelers can find creative ways to get him touches from the slot while continuing to utilize him as a returner, he suddenly becomes a much more versatile weapon than many expected.

Asante Samuel Jr. continues to impress

Training camp reports surrounding Asante Samuel Jr. have been overwhelmingly positive.

He carried that momentum directly into game action.

Samuel made multiple plays on the football and continued to show why signing him may end up being one of the Steelers’ better under-the-radar moves this offseason.

Joey Porter Jr.’s contract situation has created more opportunities for Samuel to receive valuable reps.

So far, he’s taking full advantage of every one of them.

The Bad

Troy Fautanu struggled

I’m not sounding any alarms after one preseason game.

But Troy Fautanu didn’t have the performance you were hoping to see.

He appeared uncomfortable at times and had difficulty consistently holding up.

The good news is that it’s only August.

The concerning part is that the Steelers are still trying to sort out exactly how the offensive tackle situation is going to look entering Week 1.

The second preseason game suddenly becomes much more important for that entire group.

kaleb Johnson feels like he’s slipping down the depth chart

One thing that stood out wasn’t necessarily how Kaleb Johnson played.

It was how little he played.

Johnson didn’t enter until late in the third quarter and finished with just two carries for three yards.

That’s notable.

Preseason usage isn’t always a perfect predictor of roster decisions, but when a player receives so few opportunities while others ahead of him receive extended work, it usually tells you something.

Right now, it feels like Johnson is on the outside looking in.

The next preseason game may determine whether he has a realistic chance of making the final roster.

The biggest takeaway

If I had to summarize the first preseason game in one sentence, it’d be this: The Steelers looked deeper offensively than they have in several years.

• There were multiple young players who flashed.
• The quarterback room generated optimism.
• Several newcomers validated what we’ve been hearing throughout training camp.

At the same time, there are still legitimate questions to answer before Week 1.

• Can the offensive tackles settle in?
• Who earns the final spots at running back and wide receiver?
• What happens behind Aaron Rodgers at quarterback?

Those are the storylines I’ll be watching most closely in the second preseason game.

One preseason game doesn’t tell us everything.

But it definitely gave us plenty to talk about.