Category: 2023 Steelers Preseason Week 1

Steelers OC Matt Canada defends system after impressive preseason win

Matt Canada is good with the same old offense with better execution.

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense floundered at times and it was easy to point the finger at offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Despite having a rookie quarterback, much of the problems moving the football and getting it into the end zone were blamed on Canada and his system.

But on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the offense looked great. Pittsburgh put up 27 points, had a 33 and a 67-yard touchdown reception, a 14-yard touchdown rush and four rushes of 10 yards or more.

After practice on Monday, Canada defended his offense and instead put the credit to the improved execution of it for why things went right on Friday.

“We did all the things we did last year in that game, but it looked, with our ones,” Canada said. “It was clean, good, sharp, our execution was better.”

We definitely didn’t see anything groundbreaking from the offense on Friday but much of that can be attributed to the fact it is just the preseason. Even if Canada was planning any serious new wrinkles, he wasn’t going to show them ahead of the regular season. But it really seems like and we have no reason to believe otherwise, that the offense is going to look very much like last season’s. If Kenny Pickett improves and the offensive line plays better will Canada’s scheme be enough to keep up in the AFC? We will know soon enough.

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Steelers OL Spencer Alexander shines in rookie debut

On Friday, Spencer Anderson played well at three different spots on the offensive line.

The scouting report on Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Spencer Anderson coming out of Maryland was athleticism and versatility. Sort of a jack of all trades. But it was clear from his film he has some NFL traits and is a very smart football player. The Steelers coaches love guys who can multi-task and take to coaching.

In his NFL debut, Anderson played 37 offensive snaps. The only Steeler who played more snaps on offense was fellow rookie offensive lineman Broderick Jones. Pittsburgh moved Anderson all over the line, playing some right tackle and both guard spots.

After practice on Sunday, Anderson seemed happy with how he performed but is staying focused on continuing to improve and possibly earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

One game in, Anderson has been impressive. He far outplayed Kendrick Green who has turned into some sort of hybrid offensive lineman/fullback role and left the door open for Anderson to take his job.

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Time running out for Steelers C Kendrick Green after poor preseason performance

The Kendrick Green experiment isn’t going very well.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted center Kendrick Green in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, he was put in an impossible position. A solid college guard with only a handful of games at center, he was simply thrust into the starting lineup to replace one of the best centers in franchise history in Maurkice Pouncey.

Green’s rookie campaign was rocky in the beginning and completely dreadful by the end of the season. It isn’t often the Steelers front office and coaching staff swing and miss entirely on a player but expecting Green to simply lineup and be an NFL center was a huge misstep.

2022 marked the year Green spent inactive. The Steelers signed Mason Cole to replace him and he wasn’t able to even hold onto the backup spot. No one would have been shocked if Pittsburgh had cut ties with Green at the start of the current offseason.

Instead, Green has become something of a novelty in training camp. Instead of fighting for a spot on the center depth chart (where he’s currently listed as the No. 2), Green finds himself taking reps as some sort of hybrid fullback. And for what? Is this going to keep him employed with the Steelers?

On Friday night, Green played 27 snaps at center against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and did nothing to convince us he is capable of being the backup center this season. He had a holding penalty as well as a botched snap which doesn’t bode well for his future with the team or how his practice time is being spent.

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Steelers announce the signing of LB Forrest Rhyne

Pittsburgh swapped inside linebackers on Monday.

It was first reported on Saturday that the Pittsburgh Steelers were planning to sign free-agent linebacker Forrest Rhyne. On Sunday, the team made it official when they announced they had signed the former Villanova star.

To make room on the 90-man training camp roster, the Steelers waived injured linebacker Chapelle Russell. Rhyne will wear No. 46 for the Steelers.

Rhyne was one of the best tackling linebackers in the country during his senior season at Villanova. The Indianapolis Colts originally signed Rhyne as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Rhyne appeared in three games for the Colts including their game against the Steelers last season. However, Rhyne only played on special teams.

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NFL analyst makes questionable claim about Steelers WR George Pickens

Is George Pickens a wasted talent on the Steelers?

Is wide receiver George Pickens wasted talent in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense? This is the question posed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on his show with Chris Simms.

On the surface, it is an interesting question. Florio compares Pickens to former Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool.

“With Claypool, we have to start asking, do they know how to use, do they know how to develop, do they know how to cultivate a talent like that, or is it wasted in the Pittsburgh offense,” Florio asked. “That’s why it’s more of a pressing question with Pickens.”

There are a couple of points to unpack here with this comparison. Florio compares their styles, which is a valid point. Both are big, athletic receivers who are advertised as guys who excel on contested catches. The difference we’ve seen so far is Pickens really does go up and fight for the football, and Claypool never showed much of that in Pittsburgh.

It’s also important to note, Claypool has done very little since leaving the Steelers. I will be more open to entertaining the idea of Claypool’s failings being a Steelers issue when he becomes a star in Chicago.

I absolutely concede that on a team with an elite quarterback, Pickens could be a Justin Jefferson-type of player. But with Kenny Pickett at quarterback and the volume of skill players around him, the numbers aren’t going to be there. But this doesn’t mean his talent is wasted by any means.

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Steelers vs Bucs: Grading the performance of QB Kenny Pickett

Kenny Pickett was masterful on Friday night in his only series against the Bucs.

Friday night was the start of the NFL preseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17 in Tampa and starting quarterback Kenny Pickett played the first series.

For the series, Pickett went 6-for-7 for 70 passing yards. He capped the drive with a beautiful throw to wide receiver George Pickens who took it 33 yards for an easy touchdown.

Overall, Pickett was pretty spot on. His one incompletion was a desperation throw he made as he was going down for a sack that still nearly hit the mark. He completed passes to four different players on the drive with wide receiver Diontae Johnson leading the way, hauling in three of the six. Tight end Pat Freiermuth caught one pass as well as running back Jaylen Warren.

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Cast your vote and tell us what grade you give Pickett for the performance. For us, this one was an A for sure. We saw Pickett look off defenders, go through progressions and deliver the football on point with excellent velocity.

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Steelers vs Bucs preseason: Player of the week

Cast your vote for the player of the week.

On Friday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers went out and put on a great performance in their 27-17 preseason win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These games are all about evaluation and less about wins and losses and several Steelers gave the coaching staff great things to watch.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett only played one drive but was in total control of the offense. Pickett went 6-for-7 for 70 passing yards and a passing touchdown. Other names on offense include wide receiver George Pickens who caught that touchdown, wide receiver Calvin Austin III who led the team in rushing and receiving yards or maybe you have someone else.

On defense, two players really stood out. First was rookie edge Nick Herbig. Herbig had a great rookie debut and finished with 1.5 sacks. His burst off the edge was impressive. Another defender who kept showing up on the screen was defensive end DeMarvin Leal. Leal is a legitimate breakout candidate this season and he had .5 sacks and five tackles.

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Cast your vote and let us know who your player of the week is for the preseason game.

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Steelers beat Bucs 27-17 in preseason opener

The Steelers used the passing offense to push past the Bucs on Friday night.

You couldn’t have asked for a better start from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason. Pittsburgh traveled to Tampa to take on the Buccaneers and came out with a 27-17 win after a complete showing in all three phases.

Offensively, quarterback Kenny Pickett only played one drive but was masterful. Pickett went 6-for-7 for 70 passing yards and a sweet 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver George Pickens. The leading passer was Mason Rudolph, who finished with 132 passing yards. Sixty-seven of those went to speedy WR Calvin Austin III on his touchdown catch.

On defense, the Steelers used a ton of players, rotating guys in and out. That kept the defense fresh and the Bucs off balance. Rookie edge rusher Nick Herbig was a standout with 1.5 sacks, and backup cornerback James Pierre led the team with 10 tackles. Four different Steelers accounted for at least a half-sack on the night.

The Steelers played all backups on special teams. Kicker B.T. Potter was perfect on the night. He hit both of his field-goal tries and all three of his extra-point opportunities. Punter Braden Mann punted six times and finished with a 45.7 average. He put two inside the 20.

The Steelers will continue their preseason schedule with a home game against the Buffalo Bills at 6:30 p.m. next Saturday.

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