PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The preseason is over. There was an injury to a starter, penalties, Skylar pointing up, Yahya busting out and a Pierre pick. Here are the key moments and notes from the third exhibition game at Carolina Thursday night, final score 19-10.
Harmon hurt
Ask any coach what they want to see in the preseason and they will say no injuries as a primary goal. It looked really bad for first-round pick Derrick Harmon as the defensive lineman left the field on a cart in the first half with a towel over his head. However, Harmon was able to walk back to the far end of the field to rejoin his teammates in the fourth quarter and suffered what Mike Tomlin called a knee sprain.
Sloppy
It was an early comment by Tomlin to Missi Matthews during the KDKA-TV broadcast of how he was unhappy with the sloppiness. Along with a few missed tackles and opportunities, 13 penalties for 108 yards Thursday night.
1st offense
Steelers got the ball first as tight end Pat Freiermuth and running back Jaylen Warren each played their first snaps of the preseason and each made mistakes. It was a series of mistakes…
· first play center Zach Frazier was called for holding on a run
· Warren fumbled on 1st official touch after getting a check-down
· Carolina defensive holding against Freiermuth got team first 1st down
· Freiermuth was called for holding negating 24-yard Kenneth Gainwell run, called as he set the edge
· After nice back shoulder pass to Lance McCutcheon for a 1st down, checked down to Freiermuth on 3rd and 11 for only 5 years
Starters who did not play-guard Isaac Seumalo, TE Jonnu Smith, WR DK Metcalf, WR Calvin Austin, QB Aaron Rodgers
1st team secondary
Minus the outside linebackers and Cam Heyward, all of the other projected starters played the first series on defense. It was the first time Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, DeShon Elliott and Joey Porter played. Again, a mistake here as after a 3-yard tackle for loss, Ramsey was called for unnecessary roughness and Carolina would get a field goal on that first series. Ramsey had three tackles in his only series.
Boswell back?
Nothing official from kicker Chris Boswell as if he is conducting a hold-in or not, but for the second straight game Boswell dressed. Last week, Boswell only kicked off, although Tomlin said he would have done more if long snapper Christian Kuntz wasn’t hurt. This week, Boswell kicked off and made an extra point.
Black mark
Rookie defensive lineman Yahya Black had standout plays early in the third quarter. He abused the Carolina center to get a sack and on the very next play, nearly had a sack, but quarterback Bryce Perkins lost the ball, picked it up, Julius Welschof knocked it free and Mark Robinson recovered. Black had a preseason best 5 tackles and also credited with a forced fumble.
Thompson turnaround
Nary a rep in the first week-plus of camp, after the Will Howard injury opened the door, Skylar Thompson has played well. His first series he marched the team 80 yard, going 5-5 for 72 yards including a pump fake TD throw to Lance McCutcheon for a 24-yard touchdown. It was Thompson’s fourth touchdown pass of the preseason.
Thompson also threw a 53-yard strike to Scotty Miller with 17 seconds left in the first half to set up a field goal.
For the game, 11-13, 152 yards, TD. Overall in the preseason, 41-56, 498 yards, 4 TD, INT.
Tough cut
He is only 5’9”, 174 pounds. He only had 5 catches for 69 yards last year. But Scotty Miller doesn’t make mistakes. The 28-year-old had a 53-yard reception at the end of the first half, it was his seventh catch on seven targets in preseason games. Miller finished the preseason 9 of 9 for 167 yards.
Punter battle
Cameron Johnston
· One kick of 33 yards downed at the 13-yard line
Corliss Waitman
· One kick of 35 yards
Sauls man
He hit a Pitt record six field goals of over 50 yards in 2024, the Steelers rookie Ben Sauls drilled a 50-yarder in Carolina to go with a 49-yarder, 28-yarder and 38-yard field goal to end the first half.
Notes
· Rookie Jack Sawyer had his best game of the preseason, 2 tackles for loss, 4 tackles in all (3 solo)
· Rookie RB Kaleb Johnson had 5 carries for 24 yards.
· Backup safety Miles Killebrew had 5 tackles
· Corner James Pierre is potentially on the bubble, had an interception in the second quarter
· DL Kyler Baugh had a 15-yard sack