The Steelers closed out their preseason slate with a total dud, losing Friday night to the Carolina Panthers, 34-9. While the result was far from ideal, there were some impressive – and meaningful – performances. There were also some poor outings by a handful of players. Let's take a look at who had a good night, and who won't be happy with themselves during film evaluation this weekend.
Winners
James Pierre – Pierre may have done just enough to lock down the outside corner position. He seemed to be comfortable playing against Carolina's top offensive players, had a tackle for loss, and generally did not get too out of place. He and Justin Layne will continue the battle for the role opposite Joe Haden, but Friday was a step in the right direction for the second-year undrafted free agent.
Jamir Jones – Jones, the rookie from Notre Dame, is trying to win the fourth outside linebacker spot. Last night may just have put him over the top, as Jones racked up a team-best eight tackles and had a sack nearly in the game while Carolina's first team offense was mostly in the game.
Mason Rudolph – By way of Dwayne Haskins' rough performance (more on that in a moment) it seems that any thought of the Steelers trying to unload Rudolph or even cut him in favor of Haskins went out of the window. Rudolph's struggles, especially in the red zone and under pressure, are well documented, but – outside of a fumbled handoff in the Hall of Fame Game – he has protected the ball.
Isaiah Buggs – The third-year defensive lineman was likely going to make the roster, but that wasn't iron clad heading into the Carolina game. Buggs probably secured his spot. While his state line isn't overly impressive (just three tackles), he was solid in the run game. The Steelers need defensive line depth, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Stephon Tuitt, who has missed much of camp following the sudden death of his brother.
All of us – The preseason is over. This is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. Who knows. Meaningful football is just around the corner.
Losers
Dwayne Haskins – Haskins made a couple of really, really good throws. But he failed to lead the Steelers on a scoring drive – something he has been able to do much more than Mason Rudolph in this preseason – until garbage time. This was his chance to prove that he could be Ben Roethlisberger's backup, and he didn't pass the test. With Carolina playing their first team defense, the game seemed to move a bit fast for Haskins. I'm not sure if Mason Rudolph would have fared much better, but he likely would not have misfired so badly on the pass to Derek Watt that was intercepted by the Panthers.
Mathew Sexton – A guy I had on my 53-man roster prediction as a bubble guy that would make the team, perhaps cost himself a shot entirely. The diminuative wide receiver and punt returner had made a name for himself this preseason with a pair of nice punt returns and his consistent presence in practice. But Sexton only caught a couple of balls against Carolina, and muffed a punt that allowed a Carolina drive to continue. He had an opportunity to be the next Stephon Logan, but failed.
Chukwuma Okorafor – After moving from right tackle to a more important position, left tackle, the results have been mixed for Okorafor this preseason. Friday, against a first team defense, he struggled in run and pass blocking. With the uncertainty of the new right tackle, Zach Banner – who is making his way back from an ACL tear – it is vital that Okorafor perform at a higher level. The safety of Ben Roethlisberger depends on it.
Robert Spillane – As good as Robert Spillane can be playing the run, he is that bad at pass coverage. And that might be kind. Spillane was beaten early and often by receivers, tight ends and running backs, allowing a touchdown over the middle. Perhaps the Steelers were able to mask Spillane's abysmal coverage skills when his role increased last year, but the cat is out of the bag. It's now obvious why the team traded for Joe Schobert.
All of us – If you sat through the entirety of that mess, you deserve a medal, or a hug, or something.
