Pittsburgh Needs to Pass Its Final Preseason Test
Credit: Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports
Standardized tests – most notably, the ACTs or SATs, depending on where you’re from – can be among the most intense academic moments in a person’s life. At the risk of a gross generalization, there are three types of test takers. There are those who thrive at school and will likely do well with little preparation, but still plug away to study in pursuit of an exceptional score. Of course, there is the below-average student who takes tests well and scores high with little prep work well. Then, there was the group I was in: the average-to-below-average students who don’t ace tests with ease. I was somewhere in that third group.
Like many of my friends, I took my first shot at my SAT with no prep. I figured I’d see what I could score, and if it were enough to get into a college of my choice, great! If not, I’d saddle up and try again with some studying. I wound up taking the test three times.
The third and final preseason game is truly the final test for the Steelers, and just like me, they didn’t show too well in their first two outings. It’s their last opportunity to figure out some semblance of identity before they enter the regular season. Thankfully, unlike standardized tests, preseason games have absolutely no predictive qualities as to whether the team will have success down the road. Some of the greatest teams in NFL history were completely defeated in the preseason. And the 0-16 Cleveland Browns infamously went undefeated in the preseason. They aced their SATs and flunked every class.
The preseason is meaningless, but this game matters, even if the result doesn’t. The Steelers have been testing the waters and seeing what they are capable of based on raw talent. Like many coaches across the league, the Steelers’ staff has opted to keep their scheme close to the vest, choosing a vanilla and straightforward call sheet. Arthur Smith also admitted to protecting Russell Wilson from himself as he heals up from a calf strain. Now Mike Tomlin has suggested there will be no limitations moving forward
But in their effort to keep their long-term vision under wraps, they have ruined their opportunity to evaluate their offensive talent. Failed third-down opportunities, turnovers, sacks, and lackluster performances have sent the offense back to the sideline prematurely. As a result, they haven’t been able to establish any sort of rhythm and have looked unpolished.
That needs to change in Detroit on Saturday. No, Smith will not reveal his brainchild to the world to make fans feel better, nor will he try to blow the doors off the second-and third-string Lions’ defense. But it feels like he’ll give us a taste, particularly on possession downs. Call it a hunch.
Every offense needs time to get on the same page, especially a young group with several new pieces. They need to sustain drives and work as a unit through challenges, and feel the game progress. It doesn’t even have to look good. Heck, it might be better if it doesn’t look easy. Last year, Kenny Pickett threw down the field constantly in the preseason. He and Jaylen Warren gashed defenses and were off the field in a hurry. The offense went into the regular season with limited congruency as a result.
To combat that, Smith and Tomlin need to make a concerted effort to keep drives alive. If that means sneaking in a designed run with Justin Fields into the mix – something they know he can do – or scheming a receiver open, even if it means giving up some tape to Atlanta, they should do it.
No one wants to expose starters to injuries in games that don’t have any significance to making the playoffs, but coming out cold is simply not an option for the Steelers. Giving Wilson a larger menu of plays and the chance to connect with his receivers in real-game scenarios is a worthwhile risk. Whether the starters are on the field for three or four drives, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the drives are sustained and that yards are gained. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even find the end zone.
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