Pittsburgh Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers' starting offense struggled to score in their preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night, ultimately losing 9-3. Head Coach Mike Tomlin expressed dissatisfaction with the overall performance but highlighted some positive aspects, such as punter Cam Johnston's average of 56.8 yards per punt, including a 65-yarder.

"Still not what we're looking for," Tomlin stated. "It was better in some areas, but still, JV in too many others." He acknowledged improvement in net punting and field position compared to their previous game but noted ongoing issues with winning possession downs early in the game.

Tomlin also pointed out deficiencies in pass protection, with four sacks allowed—three on Russell Wilson and one on Justin Fields. "I thought we didn't do a good enough job of protecting the quarterback," he said. "We've got to do a better job in pass protection than we did."

Defensively, the Steelers were without starters Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt, who were rested. The Bills accumulated 167 rushing yards after being held to just 42 yards in the first half. "On defense, particularly in the second half, I thought our young people wore down some," Tomlin observed.

Quarterback Russell Wilson saw his first action of the preseason and his debut in a Steelers uniform. Despite completing eight of ten passes for 47 yards and leading five drives, Wilson was sacked three times. Reflecting on his performance, Wilson said, "We always want to win... It was good to be in the black and gold."

Wilson emphasized the need for improvement on third downs and maintaining rhythm during plays. "I think we had too many third and longs in the first two drives," he noted.

Linebacker Nick Herbig earned recognition for his performance with one and a half sacks, four tackles, and two special teams tackles. Herbig appreciated Coach Tomlin's acknowledgment: "Yeah, that's probably like top five best feelings in the world I'd say."

Herbig aims to build on his rookie season by learning from veterans like T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. "I think there's never going to be a true time when you're like, okay, I'm ready," he remarked.