Pittsburgh Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Buffalo Bills in their second preseason game on Saturday night, showing some improvements from their previous outing against the Houston Texans. Despite these improvements, the Steelers fell short with a 9-3 loss to the Bills.

Head coach Mike Tomlin gave his starting offense five opportunities to score, resulting in only two first downs, 34 net yards, and one missed field goal. "I thought we didn't do a good enough job of protecting the quarterback," Tomlin said. "We've got to do a better job in pass protection than we did not only in possession downs but just in general."

Russell Wilson made his first start for the Steelers but faced significant pressure, being sacked three times on the team's first three possessions. This pressure led Wilson to avoid risky throws and opt for safer, shorter passes. "I think the biggest thing is staying on schedule," Wilson said. "I think we had too many 3rd-and-longs."

The Steelers' defense showed resilience despite missing key players like Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Alex Highsmith. The Bills managed only 245 total yards and converted just 2 of 10 third-down attempts.

Justin Fields also struggled with protection but managed to evade sacks multiple times. He acknowledged room for improvement: "We know we have to be better up front," Fields said.

The Steelers dealt with injuries during the game, including hamstring issues for Jaylen Warren and Anthony Averett and a concussion for Payton Wilson. None of these injuries are expected to impact the regular season significantly.

Special teams saw Calvin Austin III handle most punt returns effectively after Quez Watkins' less successful attempt against the Texans. Austin averaged 10.8 yards on four returns.

Overall, while there were areas of concern, particularly on offense and pass protection, both Tomlin and Wilson emphasized that preseason results do not necessarily predict regular-season performance.