The last dress rehearsal before the wins and losses are for real, and the Pittsburgh Steelers left the fans wanting more. Another impressive showing in all three phases of football. Granted, it was against the Atlanta Falcons backups, but it is always nice to see beating an easy opponent, look easy.
In just the first half, the Steelers showed a little bit of everything. A deep ball caught by Diontae Johnson, another phenomenal Pickett to Pickens connection and touchdowns from all three running backs to put the stamp on their whole preseason campaign. On the defensive side of the ball it was stressful to watch TJ Watt play even a snap in the preseason, but it was fun to see him get a sack, confirming he’s in full form to do what he does best.
Here are some of my takeaways.
More is always better, not worse.
After the second Preseason game, and Jaylen Warren’s big touchdown run against the Bills, the crazies online were questioning Najee’s value and whether Warren was the RB of the future.
But all three came to play this preseason. If the Steelers can form that running identity to keep the team in good spots offensively, it’s only going to place QB Kenny Pickett in better spots to succeed.
Anthony McFarland Jr. has officially put himself in the mix not only to make the final 53-man roster, but to earn some touches in the regular season. He made all three teams pay when they lost containment on the edge and showed off his speed, which he was well known for coming out of Maryland in the draft. He also had the chance to show that he’s much stronger than he was coming into the league with his impressive TD run in the preseason finale.
Watch the left side of the #Steelers OL on Anthony McFarland Jr.'s touchdown. Broderick Jones with great awareness to pick up the #Falcons DB shooting in late.
— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) August 25, 2023
Look at Spencer Anderson move a body out of the way, too. That's impressive. Anderson feels like a roster lock. pic.twitter.com/KUnAOoyIwm
More Strong Linebacker Showings
Another sack for another Steelers late round draft pick out of Wisconsin, Nick Herbig. A guy who was drafted in the fourth round has fans raving on Twitter and has stood out in all three preseason games. Great in the pass rush, and seems to be coming along in the other facets of the position.
Elandon Roberts! I didn’t have much to say after the first two preseason games, but in the finale he was fun to watch. With a sack and two tackles for loss, it was amazing to see exciting plays come from new faces that were acquired by the Steelers front office.
Elandon Roberts BOOM #Steelers pic.twitter.com/FNafPb9GdH
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) August 24, 2023
INSANE the TECHNIQUE, BALANCE & EXPLOSION on this pass rush by ROOKIE Nick Herbig 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/NRkRTh8CoQ
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 20, 2023
The Countdown to Kickoff
With three impressive showings, you can sense the expectations rise across the sports media landscape. I would be lying if I said I expected Kenny Pickett to look this comfortable in the preseason. With all of these complimentary pieces coming into place, the Steelers grow with Pickett. If he shows he’s a legitimate QB week in and week out, watch out not only for the Steelers to make a playoff push, but completing their goal of winning the AFC North.
Kenny Pickett final 2023 preseason stat line:
5 preseason drives, 5 TDs
158.3 QBR
13 of 15 Passing
199 yards
2 passing TDs
0 INT
13.2 yards per attempt
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