With the Steelers getting the 16-3 win in the Hall of Fame game, here are three winners and three losers from the victory over the Cowboys.
While it is important to keep some perspective here, the Steelers had an all-around strong showing during the opening preseason game. Some of the young starters showed up and played well and the backups were all over the field.
Not everything was perfect though, as the Steelers had some dismal play from some of their camp roster. With all that said, here are the three winners and three losers from the Steelers Hall of Fame game:
Steelers loser: Sam Sloman
I really toyed with keeping Sam Sloman off this list due to the role he is playing in training camp. The Steelers didn’t sign him to compete for a starting role. Instead, he can keep some pressure off of Chris Boswell during the preseason and serve as an emergency kicking option during the regular season. Considering Boswell was injured a few weeks last season, having a kicker in camp was a logical move.
That said, Sloman was easily the worst performer of the night. He missed his first two kicks (a field goal and an extra point) and wasn’t incredible with his other attempts. While his role was never a vastly important one, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team look elsewhere for a backup kicker.
Sloman could be out the door with a different kicker brought in to fill his shoes. He was bad, and for a backup kicker, it really could cost him the rest of his preseason with the Steelers.
Steelers winner: Pressley Harvin
On the other hand, the Steelers rookie punter Pressley Harvin III was an absolute force during the Hall of Fame game. He showed the ability to punt deep and directionally place the ball where it needed to be. His first punt stuck the Cowboys deep in their territory while another landed at right about the half-yard line. That wasn’t a case of a coverage unit guy tossing it out of the end-zone either, as the ball was bounced perfectly to land outside of the touchback zone.
Also extremely telling is that the Steelers didn’t play Jordan Berry in this game. While this doesn’t mean he won’t see snaps (he almost certainly will in the next game), it does indicate that the Steelers likely know what they have in him. They want to see what Harvin can do as they already know what Berry can do as a punter.
This means, to me at least, that the job is now Harvin’s to lose. Had he struggled in this game, the narrative would have been different, but he looked great. While Berry will continue to compete, it would take Harvin melting down for the team to likely roll with the veteran. Harvin looks like an experienced and dynamic punter. Considering the struggles that this team has had in regards to that position, his solid play was a major win.
Steelers loser: The offensive line
Expectations weren’t notably high for the Steelers offensive line heading into the Hall of Fame game. Most of the starters for this season were held out and the line that started hadn’t played a lot of snaps with each other before the actual game. This unit wasn’t going to be great, but it was clear early on that this unit was easily going to be the weakest link on the team.
They did get some push in the run game, but it didn’t make up for the struggles that this group had in pass blocking. On almost every play where the quarterback dropped back, it seemed like the pocket collapsed and there was no time for the quarterback to make the proper read. As this unit heals up, I would expect to see a better showing overall.
Even a healed-up unit doesn’t guarantee success though. The Steelers starting line is full of new and inexperienced faces. Some of them, like Kendrick Green, saw action in this first game. Others, like Zach Banner, didn’t participate. This led to more disappointment from the group and it showed that the backups may need to be reworked. I wouldn’t be surprised if another name is added to the camp roster at this point. This group needs some work, and the remainder of camp has to be focused on getting them ready for the regular season.
Steelers winner: James Pierre
There was no defender entering this first preseason game with more hype than James Pierre. While his hot start to camp was promising, there have been plenty of examples of players that look good in camp but can’t put it together during the season. Pierre saw a lot of playing time against the Cowboys, and to say the least, he showed up.
To be clear, he wasn’t a perfect player. He gave up a few catches, but he was sound in his tackling and didn’t allow any short catches to go for big yards. On top of this, he made a few key breakups in coverage, showing that he is rising to the occasion so far during the offseason. Instead of faltering, Pierre showed up.
Moving forward, Pierre should continue to get more looks as a starting outside cornerback. It is still uncertain how the Steelers plan on using the pieces in their secondary, but one has to think that Pierre will be a part of it. He has shown up as a positive contributor regularly, and his impressive play should yield him a role on the defense.
Steelers loser: Justin Layne
Another cornerback competing for a potential starting outside job is former third-round pick, Justin Layne. Unlike Pierre, Layne had a less than stellar season debut. While he didn’t give up any big plays, he looked noticeably slower in coverage and his reaction to the offense wasn’t great. Add in a pretty heinous pass interference call and his overall game was a disappointment.
His lone good play wasn’t even entirely his own fault. While he is credited for a forced fumble, the receiver never really got a great hand on the ball. The juggling was more of the result of the fumble. His lone good play wasn’t really his fault at all, and it further adds to the conclusion of just how mediocre of a night Layne had.
If the first game was any inclination, Layne may be on the outside looking in at the roster right now. While not winners overall, both Stephen Denmark and Mark Gilbert had some positive pass breakups in the first game. Layne has a long way to go if he wants to make this roster. He will need to hone his skills in coverage sooner than later because the competition around him is quickly catching up.
Steelers winner: The edge rushers
Initially, this spot was occupied by Alex Highsmith alone. I do want to highlight him though, as he was a force that the Cowboys had no real answer to. Sure, he was playing lower-level tackles, but on almost every play he was tearing his way through the opposing line and applying pressure. His pass-rush moves look great and his strong first showing indicates that he should be the front-runner to be the starter next to T.J. Watt
He wasn’t the only good edge rusher though, as Cassius Marsh and Quincy Roche both netted a sack on the day and regularly beat their tackle. This between the two, there is clearly a battle going on for the fourth outside linebacker spot, and if they both continue to play well the Steelers may have to keep five edge rushers. Both excelled in their first game, and both are squarely in the race for that fourth edge rusher role.
Even a relative unknown in Jamir Jones had a solid outing. For a Steelers team that has built up its pass rush into the best in the NFL, this is all good news. Now, the team won’t just have talented starters, but they could also have capable backups. Highsmith was the best of the group (which isn’t surprising), but the unit as a whole easily deserves the team’s game ball due to the regular pressure they provided to the Cowboys.
While there is still plenty of time before the regular season begins, fans have to be happy with the outcome of this game. While the team had a plethora of winners, every player did not have a great showing. These winners and losers will certainly continue to build on their first game as the preseason rolls on though.