Dose of splash plays, missing in 2022, highlight Steelers’ preseason-opening win
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After a game in which the Pittsburgh Steelers scored three long touchdowns — a departure from the 2022 season — coach Mike Tomlin outlined the usual assortment of injuries suffered by his players.
None, he noted, was due to self-adulation.
“We’re not going to wear our hands out patting ourselves on the back at this juncture,” Tomlin said after the Steelers’ 27-17 victory at Tampa Bay. “We had a good night (Friday) in some areas. Back to work.”
While it was not unexpected for Tomlin to downplay what his offense achieved with his top three quarterbacks in the game, what transpired at Raymond James Stadium was just as foreign based on the results from the previous season.
The Steelers got a 33-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to George Pickens in the only series that involved the starting offense. With Mitch Trubisky at the controls, fourth-year running back Anthony McFarland ripped off a 14-yard touchdown run around the right end without a single Buccaneers defender touching him.
Then, in the second half, the Steelers put the finishing touches on the preseason victory when Mason Rudolph uncorked a deep pass that Calvin Austin cradled and ran untouched for a 67-yard score and 27-7 lead.
“We saw what we needed to see,” Tomlin said. “It was a good step, but we’ll keep pushing.”
How unusual were the big-play capabilities of the Steelers? Consider that they had only three pass plays spanning at least 40 yards last season and a long gain of 57 yards. The two passing touchdowns were longer than any score produced by Pickett or Trubisky in 2022, and their running game produced just one touchdown run longer than 10 yards.
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Wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who had three catches for 32 yards on the opening drive before getting the rest of the night off, said the Steelers merely were executing the offense they installed in the offseason.
“Coach told us we were going to stretch the field, and we did that,” he said. “We wanted to see what we had out there, wanted to see what we had been working on all training camp. We put it on display. You could see the chemistry on display.”
That was evident when Pickett moved off his first read and found Pickens across the middle on the 33-yard catch-and-run that gave the Steelers a 7-0 lead. Pickens caught the ball at the 21, broke a tackle and finished off the score.
“That was a big sign of composure,” Pickens said. “Staying in the pocket, delivering the ball into that window.”
In his first preseason game — he missed the entire 2022 season with a foot injury — Austin showed he can be a wild card in the offense. He ran two jet sweeps that gained 23 yards, giving him the team rushing lead. What had everyone talking was the way he got behind Tampa Bay cornerback Don Gardner and caught Rudolph’s pass for the 67-yard score.
“Super cool to see Calvin do his thing,” Pickens said. “It’s one of the things you guys wanted to see as well, us scoring deep.”
Pickett was envious that he wasn’t the quarterback throwing the pass.
“I like guys that can run,” he said. “Seeing different things in the jet game and running downfield was awesome to see. Really proud of Calvin. He’s worked hard to be here. Obviously, he went out and performed at a really high level. It was great to see.”
For McFarland, his 14-yard touchdown run was a continuation of the plays he has made at Saint Vincent College with nobody catching him once he hit the open field.
According to a NextGen stat line that was shown on the scoreboard, Austin and McFarland each surpassed 20 mph while running to the end zone, ranking them among the five fastest plays in the preseason.
“Everybody knows those guys can move and run, and that’s why we were excited about seeing what they are capable of doing,” Tomlin said. “But it goes beyond flat-line speed. Those guys are developing skills relative to their position know-how. And at this level when it’s good on good, speed doesn’t win. It’s speed in combination with know-how and skills relative to your position.
“I like the trajectory of both guys in that area.”