Turn the Page: Looking Back on the Buccaneers and Looking Forward to the Panthers

We are through Week 2 of the preseason and that much closer to the regular season! At the mid-point of the week, here is a look back at last week against the Buccaneers and a look forward to the Panthers next week.

Looking Back

• Roman Wilson showed up this past week in a big way. He caught two passes for 72 yards. One reception was from quarterback Mason Rudolph, while the other was from Skylar Thompson. In his second outing, Wilson is showing some promise for the regular season and, in my opinion, very much is making a case for the WR2 position. I had a sneaking feeling that Pickens was traded away partly because the Steelers felt comfortable enough with what they had in their WR room already. I am cautiously optimistic that Wilson will only improve throughout the course of the regular season. Here’s to the young man’s chances of becoming a reliable target for Aaron Rodgers.
• Another wide receiver to make a bit of a splash this week was undrafted rookie Roc Taylor. The University of Memphis product was noted to have a strong training camp, and he reeled in 3 catches on 5 targets for 39 yards this week. Not too shabby for the undrafted rookie. Do the Steelers like him enough to keep him on the 53-man roster? We shall see, but if he continues to impress, I think it’s a possibility.
• After two preseason games, the Steelers defense has finally sacked the quarterback. After no sacks in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Derrick Harmon got home this past week. While it would have been nice to see more than one on the stat sheet, it’s nice to see the 2025 first-round pick being productive. I look forward to watching him mature as a player at the NFL level!
• For the second week in a row, an undrafted rookie is taking full advantage of his opportunities. His name is Max Hurleman. This week, Hurleman recovered a fumble on special teams. I’m not sure what it is about him, but I am rooting for this guy to make a roster somewhere. Ideally, it’s the Steelers. While we’ve only seen him take the field twice, he has made his presence felt in both games. He’s been fun to watch play, and he brings great energy to the field. He deserves a shot in my opinion.
• Kaleb Johnson rushed for 50 yards this week, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. This is encouraging! I wasn’t worried about his performance in the previous game against Jacksonville, but I wanted to see more of him. I will take that YPC average any day, and I look forward to watching him more next week.
• The quarterback play of the Steelers left some things to be desired this week. Each signal caller threw an interception, leading to three turnovers for Pittsburgh. As a result, the Steelers lost the turnover battle. They also lost the game, but there is no surprise there. It’s hard to win a football game when you turn the ball over more than your opponent. It’s only preseason and the presumed starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, did not take the field. There shouldn’t be panic here by any means. However, it is something to note and perhaps demands some attention in practice this week.

Looking Ahead

• This upcoming week, Pittsburgh takes on the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have struggled over the past several seasons. While Bryce Young has another year of experience under his belt and they added WR Tetairoa McMillan in the draft, I believe the Steelers defense is capable of a dominant performance. Reports from training camp are that this defensive unit looks elite. I look for Pittsburgh to make it difficult for Carolina to move the ball and sustain drives.
• Ball security should be a priority this upcoming week. Looking at Skylar Thompson specifically, he’s in a battle for a roster spot with injured rookie Will Howard. He needs to perform better this week if he wants to have a chance at a job in Pittsburgh. With that being said, if he is cut from the Steelers, I believe he will likely be signed elsewhere as a backup. A good outing, whether he stays with the Steelers or not, will improve his chances of employment somewhere in the NFL for 2025. Here’s to no turnovers in preseason week 3.
• I’m glad Harmon registered a sack against Tampa Bay, but I really want to see more pressure from the Steelers defensive front. 1 sack and a total of 5 quarterback hits over a two-game span could be improved upon. Will the front seven have a stronger pass rush performance against the Panthers? I hope so, and I’m excited to see who will step up.