Steelers Dominate Bills' Starters In Preseason Showdown
In the only preseason game they had at home at Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers got a taste of the Bills first-team offense for about a quarter and a half. The results may shock you if you’re sleeping on the Pittsburgh Steelers like the rest of the world.
Kenny Pickett and the first-team offense only had to play two drives to start the game and already had mounted a 14-0 lead. The Steelers had seen enough, the starters were pulled. Pickett ended the day completing three of his four passes for 43 yards and a perfect pass to Pat Freiermuth, throwing him open from 25 yards out.
Steelers Offense Shines Early
It may be a small dose, but this Steelers offense looks legit. Pickett has played three drives in the preseason. They’ve all resulted in touchdowns. You really couldn’t script it any better thus far for Steelers fans. Everything looks smooth.
The Steelers struck early when Jaylen Warren picked up a block from Diontae Johnson and took his only carry of the night 62 yards to the house. They weren’t done there, as the second drive that was set up by a 54-yard punt return from Calvin Austin only took one play for Pickett to find Freiermuth for the touchdown, putting the Steelers up two scores early.
Pittsburgh effectively pulled the starters and never looked back. Connor Heyward tacked on a touchdown on a tight window throw from the former Buffalo Bills Quarterback Mitch Trubisky to close the first half. Pittsburgh’s Swiss army knife finds a way to make himself useful.
Routine Plays Routinely
The Steelers first-team defense was exactly what we expected. They got to Josh Allen early and locked it down, forcing a three-and-out on the first drive and getting some help from three straight Bills penalties on the second drive, including a hold that erased a 35-yard completion to Gabe Davis that would’ve put the Bills in the red zone.
Elijah Riley and Joey Porter Jr. both had interceptions in the first half, Riley’s coming off a Josh Allen pass that got tipped by Cole Holcomb, and Porter Jr. just plucking a bad ball from Matt Barkley before going over to find his dad, Joey Porter Sr. in the crowd to give him the ball. A heartwarming moment for Steelers fans.
Another newcomer looking to find his role on the defense, Chandon Sullivan added an interception on the first drive of the second half that resulted in a Boswell field goal. Nick Herbig made his presence felt when he got to Barkley and forced a fumble that Tanner Muse jumped on in the third quarter. It resulted in another Boswell field goal. Theres only three guarantees in this life. Death, Taxes, and the Steelers defense forcing turnovers.
Pittsburgh finally let the Bills find the end zone in the fourth quarter when a bad snap by Kendrick Green was recovered at the one-yard line for the Bills and ran into the endzone of the following play. It ended up being their only points until the final seconds of the game as the Steelers dominated from Start to finish, winning 27-15. It felt much worse for Buffalo than that score tells.
Tanner Morgan even found his way into the game at quarterback in its final moments, although one has to imagine he’ll be cut in the next week or so.
While it’s just preseason and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions, the Steelers look legit through two weeks. It’ll be exciting to see how they find a way to keep it rolling through the regular season. See you back at Acrisure in week one after the Steelers go to Atlanta to take care of business next week.
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