Knee Jerk Reactions to the Steelers 17-14 Preseason Loss to the Buccaneers

The idiom “a knee jerk reaction” means that you respond to something in an equally unthinking way. That’s something as sports fans that we typically do, and if it’s in an unthinking way then I definitely qualify. Knee jerks apply especially if you are a full blood Yinzer, or even just a part Yinzer, who am I fooling it’s more like if you are a Steeler fan in general. As is the custom, I compile my knee-jerk thoughts and publish them immediately after each Steelers game (my son Kyle might have a few things to say as well). It’s my version of running my mouth first and apologizing later (if at all). So with that being said, it’s time to react to the Steelers Preseason Week 2 game against the Buccaneers. Let’s get this going, HERE……WE……GO!!!

1st Quarter

• Big Bro we had a banquet and Kyle is at the game, so it’s a Lil’ Bro filling in tonight.
• Steelers once again start on defense. Much better on the kick coverage this time as it’s Boswell in uniform kicking off.
• Nice run stuff by the inside of the defensive line. Running back tries to escape outside but Juan Thornhill cleans it up.
• Run defense standing up again with Cole Holcomb blowing it up.
• Herbig just misses the sack, but it’s nowhere close to enough for a first down.
• Gainwell does get into the action this week as he catches the first pass from Mason Rudolph for a couple yards.
• There’s the first turnover by the Steelers of the season. Maybe Rudolph was trying to get greedy hitting Roman Wilson there, but the defender made a nice play.
• Yikes! It’s not about Tampa converting the third down, it’s about the receiver landing on his head after making a catch. Hope he’s alright.
• Steelers don’t give up another first down before a field goal try, but running into the kicker gives Tampa a first down in the red zone.
• Another loss by the run defense, this time Chuck Clark coming up to make the play.
• Next play the Steelers give up a touchdown. Payton Wilson was right with the running back but couldn’t defend a nice throw. 7-0 Bucs.
• Not much on the kick return for Kaleb Johnson.
• I’m not shocked at all to see the Steelers run the ball the first two plays. I expected them to run more this game because they didn’t much last week, but after having an interception it was almost guaranteed.
• Rudolph can’t find anyone and takes off but comes up short. The virtual measurement says he’s a full yard shy. It’s a three and out.
• Corliss Waitman kicks it 60 yards but the Steelers give up a 34-yard return.
• This is great. Herbig’s been ruled out with a hamstring injury and long snapper Christian Kuntz gets hurt making the tackle on the long punt return. Worst part of preseason games.
• Steelers get the Bucs to 4th & 6, but on the cusp of field goal range they go for it and convert easily to the wide open receiver. Was that a coverage breakdown?
• Bucs get the touchdown on third and goal. Echols went to knock the ball away high but the pass was way short which allowed it to be converted against good coverage. 14–0 Tampa.
• Down two touchdowns, the Steelers have only run five offensive plays.
• There’s a big pass to Roman Wilson! If that gets out in front of them a little bit it’s a touchdown. Instead it goes for more than 40 yards.
• A pass interference call has the Steelers sit up first and goal inside the five.
• Last week‘s darling Max Hurleman can’t pull in the rocketed pass from Rudolph even though he was wide open.
• Brandon Johnson gets the touchdown after being the player who drew the pass interference. Logan Lee executes the snap and Sauls knocks it through. 14–7 Tampa.
• There’s some pressure from the past rush. Caused an incompletion.
• Derrick Harmon just plows through his guy for the sack on 3rd down!
• Rudolph gets about the same amount of time as last week a Skylar Thompson takes over.
• First pass is another big hook up to room in Wilson who could have got more if he stays in bounds. Still, it’s 30 yards.
• That’s a pretty dynamic first quarter. 21 points combined as the Bucs lead it 14–7 but the Steelers are driving.

2nd Quarter

• The first play is another completion for a first down, this time to Scottie Miller for 15.
• The next three players are not good. The defense makes a nice play on Roman Wilson, Kaleb Johnson loses 2 yards, and Skyler Thompson gets sacked and takes the Steelers out of long field goal range.
• Another good snap from Logan Lee as Cam Johnston gets the fair catch at the 10-yard line.
• Steelers forced the three and out deep in Tampa territory, but a booming punt flips the field.
• NFL+ coming back late from commercials is really getting annoying. Almost missed that nice 14-yard run by Kaleb Johnson.
• Steelers going for it on 4th and inches at midfield… and it looks like they barely convert on the past to Heyward.
• Nice improvised play by Skyler Thompson as he breaks the pocket and flips it to Kaleb Johnson for a nice game. I’m just glad he didn’t take the sack, let alone gaining 9 yards.
• Great protection for Thompson and he hits Scotty Miller for a gain of more than 20 and puts the Steelers in the red zone.
• That screen didn’t work. They were lucky it wasn’t picked but it would have been better to not catch it.
• There’s another interception. This one keeps the Steelers from putting points on the board. It also wasn’t the quarterback’s fault as the receiver tipped it in the air.
• This time NFL+ comes back so late we missed the first play.
• After giving up a couple first downs, there’s another tackle for loss in the run game. Malik Harrison this time.
• Jack Sawyer just misses the sack but the Bucs can’t get enough for the first down. Steelers will take over with just under three minutes left.
• That Steelers drive was uninspiring, but Tampa doesn’t call a timeout to stop the clock and they take over with less than a minute left.
• Beanie Bishop almost intercepts that for an easy touchdown, but almost doesn’t count.
• First it’s almost a sack, then it should be an easy tackle short of the sticks, but the receiver ducks under and goes for the first down. Not what you want to see there with a chance to get the ball back with 30 seconds.
• After three in completions, the Steelers get it back but only with 12 seconds left.
• Any chance the Steelers kick a 70 yarder this time?
• After a holding penalty, the Steelers just take a knee. After all that scoring in the first quarter there was none in the second. 14–7 Tampa.

3rd Quarter

• Much better run back for Kaleb Johnson that time. Out to the 35.
• Penalties make it tough to maintain drives. Steelers do nothing with their first possession.
• Cam Johnston does another good job of forcing the fair catch deep, this time at the 7-yard line.
• Bucs move the ball but can’t cross midfield as the Steelers will start inside their own 10-yard line.
• It looks like Logan Woodside is warming up before they go to commercial. But so was Skyler Thompson.
• Kaleb Johnson busts for almost 10 yards but follows it up by getting tripped up on 2nd & 1.
• Steelers run a quarterback sneak to make sure they get at least one first down, and it’s their first 3rd down conversion of the game.
• Kaleb Johnson was forced to bounce outside and it looked like he was gonna lose yardage but managed to get a decent 7-yard gain.
• After an incompletion on a deep shot, the Steelers give up a sack on third down and will punt again.
• Steelers get their first takeaway in the special teams game, but they were recipient of a dumb play by the returner. After letting it bounce, the player tries to field it running backwards as it’s bouncing and can’t bring it in. Max Hurleman jumps on it.
• Another nice Kaleb Johnson run for 9 yards. He follows it up with another nice run for 8 yards inside the 5-yard line.
• It takes three tries, but Trey Sermon gets the last two attempts and finishes it off for the touchdown. 14–14 all as the Steelers get 7 points off the turnover.
• I will say this, the last time I remember a defensive player having to fill in as a long snapper it was a disaster. Logan Lee is doing well.
• It looked like Tampa was gonna be moving the ball, but a big third down conversion gets called back for an offensive pass interference. Steelers get the ball back with just seconds left in the quarter.
• Now Logan Woodside is in.
• One quarter to go. It’s all tied up 14–14.

4th Quarter

• The Steelers take a deep shot on third down to Roc Taylor who gets his jersey pulled but doesn’t get the call. Another punt coming.
• After the Steelers force a three and out, it’s the Lew Nichols show busting a 37-yard run.
• Roc Taylor bounces off the hit and runs for a first down.
• Taylor had a step on his guy but the ball was just beyond his fingertips In the end zone. Even worse the Steelers miss the field goal. It was Sauls from 43 yards.
• The Steelers are 2–4 in the red zone with a turnover and a missed field goal.
• On a 15-yard pass, the Steelers knocked the ball out and recover. Turnovers are now back to even at two apiece.
• It would have been nice to see the 20-yard pick up to Roc Taylor but the game didn’t come back from commercial in time. At least they showed the replay.
• Another false start. Coach T is not going to be happy.
• That’s the second sack the Steelers have given up tonight where the quarterback scrambled and ran out of bounds for no gain. Yes, that goes down as a sack.
• After picking up 6 yards to Roc Taylor, the Steelers are going for it on 4th & 7 at the Tampa 42. The Steelers throw it only to the line of scrimmage and don’t even complete it. Bad call, bad decision, bad execution.
• Tampa going for it on 4th & 1 just across midfield. And it’s stuffed for a 1-yard loss!
• Evan Hull with a nice run for more than 10 yards. The Steelers have been able to get the running game going against the reserves in the second half while Tampa has still struggled.
• That’s a very bad interception with a long run back. Steelers force a fumble but can’t get on it before it goes out of bounds. Went from a potential game-winning field goal to now trying to not give up one.
• Steelers had a chance to force a long field goal with a 3rd & 9 but give up 13 yards on a pass that was 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
• Tampa kicks the 42 yard field goal as time expires. It’s a 17–14 Steelers loss.
• Even though it’s a meaningless game, it’s nice to win. And the Steelers had plenty of chances with a missed field goal and a late turnover.

Once again, I just fired off what was going through my head at the time. All reactions were in real time. Basically, it is the equivalent of watching the game with a me and Kyle, you just don’t have to go to another room because of my screaming at the television (sometimes Kyle leaves the room). Now time to process it, do some quick analyzing for the Scho Bro Show, and then put it behind me as we move on quickly to the final preseason game in Carolina on Thursday. Make sure you get your voice heard in the comments below.