Steelers players rising and falling after preseason loss to Bills
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills 9-3 on Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium. Let's take a look at the Steelers who are rising and falling as the preseason rolls on:
Justin Fields: Didn’t lead the Steelers to a touchdown for the second week in a row, but he seems to be the least of their worries. Fields came on for Russell Wilson in the second quarter and moved the offense with his arm and legs. He completed 11 of his 16 pass attempts for 92 yards and added 42 rushing yards, including a 20-yard scamper late in the first half that set up a Chris Boswell field goal just before halftime. His best throw came after he eluded the rush and found Dez Fitzpatrick on the sideline as he was going to the ground. On a night when little else went right for the offense, Fields was one of the lone bright spots.
Nick Herbig: With T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith resting, Herbig got the start, and he was excellent on the pass rush. Herbig sacked Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky on third-and-2 on the game's first series. On the second series, Herbig was credited with a half sack when he and Keeanu Benton brought Trubisky to the ground again. The Steelers still need to find a fourth outside linebacker, but Herbig looks like he will be a great option when Watt and Highsmith need a rest.
Cam Johnston: The new punter showed why the Steelers made him a priority in free agency. He averaged 56.8 yards per punt and had a long of 65 yards. It was a sad state of affairs for the offense, but at least they had Johnston to bail them out.
Broderick Jones: Gave up two sacks to Greg Rousseau, and the ease with which Rousseau did it should be a huge concern to the Steelers. Jones was overpowered by Rousseau on both occasions, getting pushed back like he was on ice skates. On the play preceding the second sack, Rousseau pushed Jones into Russell Wilson’s lap to force an incomplete pass. Once Troy Fautanu returns from his injury, he’ll be the right tackle, leaving Jones and Dan Moore to battle it out on the left side. Based on his performance against the Bills, Jones, the No. 14 overall pick in last year’s draft, could start the season on the bench for a second year in a row.
The offense: It was so bad it’s no wonder a “Fire Canada” chorus didn’t break out. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith wanted a clean offensive performance after last week’s sloppy outing. He got nothing of the sort. Wilson played five series and didn’t lead the Steelers to a score. Not that it was his fault. The pass protection was awful, and there were more penalties. Receiver Calvin Austin III also committed a false start penalty on third-and-5 on the game's first series. On the next play, Wilson was sacked. Those are exactly the types of unforced errors Smith wanted to eliminate. It’s a good thing the season is still three weeks away. Smith’s offense can only go up from here.
Cordarrelle Patterson: The Steelers signed the veteran to a two-year contract worth $6 million, including a $2 million signing bonus. It’s only the preseason, but it looks like Smith is trying to shoehorn Patterson into a role that might not be there. He had one carry for negative-1 yard and one catch for 1 yard. But Patterson wasn’t signed to be an offensive weapon. He was signed to return kickoffs. Curiously, the Steelers haven’t had him return a kickoff yet. Here’s hoping he’s more explosive in the return game. Otherwise, signing a 33-year-old to that kind of deal isn’t going to look good.
