Behind the Steel Curtain
The preseason is officially over for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now cut day looms as they trim their roster down to 53 ahead of their Week 1 clash with the New York Jets. So, for the final time before games become real, let’s discuss the best and worst performances from the Steelers’ preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.
Black put a stamp on what has been a great summer for him. He had two sacks on consecutive plays, the second of which led to a fumble that was recovered by the Steelers and led to a field goal. It looks like the Steelers found two new franchise pillars in Derrick Harmon and Black, the latter of which has consistently shown he deserves to be the fourth man in the defensive line rotation.
Miller had three catches on the night for 82 yards, including a 55-yard bomb in the waning seconds of the first half to set up a Ben Sauls field goal. Miller finished preseason play catching all nine of his targets and solidified a spot on the roster.
Thompson will be on someone’s roster. He went 11-of-13 for 152 yards and a touchdown pass to Lance McCutcheon to finish exhibition play with four passing scores. He’s made a legitimate case to be the No. 2 behind Aaron Rodgers. If he doesn’t get that role, he’ll be sent somewhere else to be the primary backup.
He won’t be the Steelers’ kicker, but he’ll kick for at least one team this year when someone gets the yips or gets injured. He went four-of-four on the night, including a 50-yarder.
The rookie from Ohio State had two tackles for loss on the night. The pass-rushing tape hasn’t been great, but we know he can stuff the run. If he develops a solid repertoire of pass-rush moves, he can be a real player for the Steelers going forward.
Another guy where, if he doesn’t make the Steelers’ roster, I wouldn’t be shocked if another team snatched him up. He had a 30-yard run in the game and has had a good preseason overall.
McCutcheon had a nice showing with three catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. If he doesn’t get a practice squad spot with the Steelers, he’ll get one elsewhere.
Pierre had several interceptions throughout training camp and got one in the end zone of Jack Plummer on Thursday. if it comes down to Pierre or Cory Trice for the final cornerback spot on the roster, Pierre will be the guy who gets it.
Rudolph had his worst game of the preseason by far. He threw a bad pick on the team’s third drive and finished with 35 yards and just 4.5 yards per attempt.
Warren slipped...
