The Pittsburgh Steelers finished off their preseason stint with a close loss to the Buffalo Bills. While wins and losses don’t matter right now, it was disappointing to see Pittsburgh drop the game in the final minutes.
That said, there was a lot more good in this game than bad.
While the players in this game will be most of the ones sweating final cutdowns in a few days, the Steelers saw some strong performances from names fighting to make this roster. Unfortunately, a few names also stuck out as clear losers from this Thursday night game.
Steelers get a mixed bag of winners and losers from Thursday's loss to the Bills
Winner: Gabriel Rubio
I had a hunch that Gabriel Rubio was going to make some noise during the preseason. He has done that and then some through the summer. While fans and analysts alike were down on the pick, Rubio has some traits worth developing.
His run defense is stout. He gets a great push, and his motor runs hot. His ceiling feels capped due to a lack of a pass rush plan, but he feels like a quality rotational defender and someone who could see run defense snaps sooner rather than later.
Winner: Lew Nichols
It is officially time to talk about Lew Nichols making this roster.
I get it: Travis Homer is the better special teams player, and that will be the primary role a third running back will play on this team. However, Nichols is clearly the third-best running back on the Steelers.
He ran hard once again this week and had the most total yards on offense. It isn’t like he doesn’t play special teams either. The choice between him and Homer will be one of the hardest ones to make come cutdown day.
Winner: Lake McRee
Lake McRee hasn’t been a dynamo, but of all the backup tight end options, he has certainly had the most success. From his deep completion against the Jets to his short catch-and-run touchdown against the Bills, he has consistently done the small things well.
He has no shot at making the final roster, but he feels like a safe bet to make the practice squad. There could be something there with him eventually if he continues to grow.
Winner: Devan Boykin
The defense wasn’t great this game, but a player who feels like he has come into his own is Devan Boykin. He was a stout defender in the secondary and was the best defensive player on the field at times.
Like McRee, he won’t make the active roster. That said, it feels like the practice squad is a safe bet with the potential to develop into something more.
Winner: Kaden Wetjen
There are some issues worth discussing with Kaden Wetjen. His ball security, while not an issue in Buffalo, will have to remain clean in the regular season. He also fails to run north and south on returns, which has led to lackluster production this summer.
We have seen flashes, though. His long catch and run against the Packers was notable, and he housed a punt for a touchdown this week. There is something worth developing there, but he may also still have some growing pains this season.
Loser: Dylan Cook
Dylan Cook has not been able to build off his strong 2025 season. He has been beaten far too often in both run and passing reps. The Steelers may have a serious issue at right tackle this season.
Broderick Jones doesn’t feel like the answer, and Max Iheanachor has his own struggles. At the end of the day, you may just be forced to take your lumps with the rookie, as Cook doesn’t feel like a viable starter.
Loser: Max Iheanachor
There was so much excitement to finally see Iheanachor get some game-day action. It wasn’t a disaster, but the sack he gave up early was an ugly rep.
Yes, he cleaned things up a bit late in the game, but he was also facing the bottom-tier competition from the Bills. The Steelers may be forced to play him sooner rather than later, but he clearly doesn’t look ready as of right now.
Loser: Will Howard
While the two touchdowns look good, Will Howard had another tough day against the Bills. The interception was a bad miscommunication, and it proved costly. Both of his scores had little to do with him, further adding to the lackluster day.
Now the Steelers will be forced to either keep four quarterbacks or cut Howard. Neither option is ideal. I was hoping to see more from the young option, but it feels like his NFL ceiling is capped.
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