5 Winners and 5 Losers after the Steelers preseason loss to the Buccaneers

The Pittsburgh Steelers were back on the field Saturday for the second game of the 2025 preseason when they hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Pittsburgh. The Steelers were losers in the contest, but that doesn’t mean every player had a good or bad performance.

Players who play well can be considered ‘Winners’, while those who left a lot to be desired can be called ‘Losers’. It may sound harsh, but it is the crux of this exercise.

Let’s check in to see who fell on which side of the ledger after the latest game…

Winners

Roman Wilson
Stat Line: 2 catches, 72 yards, 36.0 ave., 0 TD, 42 long, 4 targets

Say what you want about Wilson, but he is taking advantage of the opportunity which has been presented to him. With DK Metcalf getting games off, and Calvin Austin III still out due to injury, it has been Wilson who has stood out among the Steelers receivers. For the second straight game Wilson has been at, or near, the top of the receiving yards list, but it is more than that. It is how he is going about gaining yards for the offense. In other words, he is doing it with chunk plays down the middle of the field. Through his first two preseason games, Wilson has the following stat line: 4 catches, 96 yards, 24.0 ave., 0 TD, 42 long. Talk about making the best of your opportunity, and maybe the Steelers are wondering if they truly need to mortgage any of the future for a wide receiver.

Run Defense
Stat Line: TB – 24 carries, 41 yards, 1.7 ave.

After Week 1 I was hoping to see the Steelers defense tighten up against the run. Yes, I can’t get the playoff loss to the Ravens out of my mind. Well, the Steelers back-ups went against the Tampa Bay starters, including Bucky Irving, and they absolutely shut down the running game. It was a big step in the right direction, but if I’m being honest, there was one play which stood out among the rest. When I saw Cole Holcomb knife through the offensive line and make a tackle for loss, it was awesome to see. Holcomb played well in coverage in Week 1, but we hadn’t seen that burst to get through the line of scrimmage yet. Another box checked as Holcomb continues his comeback from a gruesome knee injury in 2023.

Scotty Miller
Stat Line: 2 catches, 38 yards, 19.0 ave., 0 TD, 23 long, 2 targets

There are some fans who don’t think there is a spot for Scotty Miller on the team when they cut down to the 53-man roster. My response to that thought is this: Unless they bring in another wide receiver, how can they not have Miller on the roster? He provides a lot of value, being able to contribute on special teams, and has been nothing but rock-solid every time he’s been given a chance. Miller is that guy who you can never count out, for a variety of reasons. I like those guys, and I think Miller could be a valuable asset on the team, especially with a cerebral quarterback like Aaron Rodgers at the helm.

Derrick Harmon
Stat Line: 3 tackles, 1 solo, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 QB Hit

Through two preseason games the Steelers have just one sack, and that sack was by rookie 1st Round pick Derrick Harmon. When Harmon man-handled the offensive lineman across from him, you got to see the absolute power of the young man out of Oregon. You also got a glimpse into what could become with Harmon as a prospective player. As Harmon gets his legs under him in the NFL, it is going to be fun to see him get acclimated to the professional game, and hopefully making plays like this for years to come.

Lew Nichols 
Stat Line: 3 rushes, 42 yards, 14.0 ave., 0 TD, 37 long

For the second straight game Nichols has carved up the opposition’s back-up defenders, and I think it might be time to give him some time on Thursday night in the first half. Nichols could be a good player going against bad defenders, but you would think the Steelers would want to see him get some run vs. better competition. I think Nichols would be a prime candidate for the practice squad, and the team would be smart to get him some snaps with better offensive linemen, and against better defenders on the field.

Losers 

Turnovers
Stat Line: 3 turnovers

The Steelers didn’t turn the ball over in the first preseason game against the Jaguars, and they didn’t wait long to give it away in Week 2 with Mason Rudolph’s ill advised through which was intercepted on the team’s opening offensive drive. Not to be outdone, Logan Woodside’s 4th quarter interception was absolutely brutal. On Rudolph’s interception you can at least tip your cap to the defender making a great play, but Woodside’s interception was just a horrible decision/throw. I’ll excuse Skylar Thompson’s interception considering it was on-time and on-target but hit off the receiver’s hands and into the hands of the defender. The sloppy play was a trend which started early and kept going.

3rd Down Offense
Stat Line: 0-for-5 in 1st Half

The Steelers finished the game 2-for-12 in this department, but I chose to highlight when the team at least had their back-ups on the field in the first half. During that time they didn’t convert a third down, not one. Situational football is something everyone looks at in the preseason, and the Steelers certainly didn’t come through on third downs in the first half, or the rest of the game.

Soft Tissue Injuries
Stat Line: More names added to the list

After the game the Steelers had some more injuries added to the growing list, but there were two which stood out among the group. Long snapper Christian Kuntz had a chest injury after making a tackle on a punt coverage play, and Mike Tomlin said the team got some “good news” on this front in his post-game press conference. The other main injury was a hamstring injury to Nick Herbig. Tomlin said he should be fine, but let’s also not forget Alex Highsmith hasn’t even practiced for over a week with a groin injury, and suddenly you’re seeing the team’s strong depth at OLB getting pretty thin. Hopefully they have all hands on deck for Week 1 of the regular season.

Red-Zone Defense
Stat Line: TB 2/3

The Steelers won the situational football category in Week 1, but not in Week 2. You could point to a lot of areas in this regard, but I chose to focus on the red-zone defense. The Buccaneers got their three times, and added touchdowns two out of the three times. Sure, the roughing the kicker call gave them new life, but the Steelers defense certainly struggled with the field got short.

NFL+ Stream
Stat Line: The delay is awful

The NFL’s official streaming service leaves a lot to be desired. Whether it is not starting the actual feed when the game starts, the almost 2-3 play delay from live game action, or the fact fans have to sit through the same Washington Commanders fan/Celine Dion commercial, it’s brutal. Throw in the fact that KDKA was struggling on their end as well between throwing it to a studio with an anchor who was checking her phone, hearing mic checks from the sideline, or saying you’re going to commercial when not going to commercial, again, brutal. It’s the preseason for everyone, but when you’re also missing plays, like Ben Saul’s missed field goal, that can be a problem.

If you want a more detailed look at the above list, check out my “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below where I outline each Winner and Loser, and MORE!