The Pittsburgh Steelers dominated in their first football bout this year, beating the Packers 28-9. The team looked sharp all around, and while both sides of the ball had some flaws, the good definitely outweighed the bad.
Good performances need to carry through practice and the remainder of the preseason, but there is a long list of winners who have just boosted their odds of making the team. The losers, meanwhile, will need to bounce back quickly if they want a shot at making the final roster.
Biggest winners and losers after the Steelers' preseason opener against Packers
Winner: Kaden Wetjen
It had been a quiet training camp for Kaden Wetjen for the most part. The return units weren’t doing a lot of full sessions, and no one expects his offensive role to be large as a rookie. While his returns in this game weren’t flashy, he was a spark on offense with a long catch-and-run as well as a short touchdown reception late in the game.
While he will still make his mark in the return game first and foremost, there is certainly something worth exploring on offense. If he can get the ball in space, he can clearly be a playmaker.
Winner: Will Howard
He wasn’t the biggest winner in the quarterback room, but Will Howard certainly looked confident in his first NFL action. Howard had good composure, was accurate, and he efficiently led the offense when given the opportunity.
Howard's play was solid overall. He certainly looks like someone you could count on to be the backup for this team this year, which is a huge win for the young signal-caller.
Loser: Penalties
It’s only preseason, but this game was extremely sloppy. There were mistakes and penalties all over the place, and had this been a regular-season game, that likely would have cost the Steelers. Special teams were especially bad in this area. Something to clean up before the next game.
Winner: Robert Tonyan
While past his prime and fighting for a roster spot, Robert Tonyan continued to look like a reliable safety valve for this offense. He’s a savvy veteran at tight end who can find cracks in the defense and has reliable hands to help the offense move the chains.
He likely won’t have a massive role on offense, but he will quietly provide excellent depth and insurance. He feels like a lock after this game.
Loser: Dylan Cook
Dylan Cook saw a good deal of work on the right side of the line, and the results were less than inspiring. While expecting perfect play from the unproven veteran is unrealistic, he certainly didn’t look as competent as he did last year in place of Broderick Jones.
Max Iheanachor didn’t suit up for this game, but it feels like the gap between the two may be closer than we think. Cook may not have as firm a hold on the right tackle spot as previously thought.
Winner: Asante Samuel Jr.
Building off a strong practice, Asante Samuel Jr. certainly looks like he has fully recovered from his injury a few years ago. He has been the biggest winner in camp and continued that strong play in his first preseason action.
Frankly, we are getting to the point where you may not be able to keep him off the field. Jamel Dean certainly needs to prove he is worth his contract, as he has Samuel biting at his heels.
Winner: Lew Nichols
An often-ignored name in the running back room, Lew Nichols was explosive last preseason and kept up that strong play this year. He runs hard, hits holes, and doesn’t go down easily.
More importantly, he was the first true running back to get snaps in this game. Travis Homer saw some work early, but Nichols provided the first spark in the running game shortly after. His odds of making the roster are there, and at the very least, he feels like the front-runner to lock up a practice squad spot.
Loser: Troy Fautanu
It was a rough first outing for Troy Fautanu at left tackle. He felt slow to react and was beaten more often than not off the edge. Mason Rudolph didn’t help as his pocket presence felt poor, but it was no excuse for the former first-round pick.
Ideally, he is just reacclimating to playing on the left side. However, these issues need to be handled quickly.
Winner: Germie Bernard
It has been a disturbingly quiet training camp for the Steelers' second-round pick. Germie Bernard felt like an afterthought, but once he got onto the field in a game setting, it was a different story.
Bernard showed exactly what he was at Alabama. He ran sharp routes, found the soft spot in coverage, and made a few plays with the ball in his hands. The receiver room has needed a player like that, and Bernard may quickly become a quarterback's best friend.
Loser: Kaleb Johnson
The biggest loser from this game, Kaleb Johnson, got two carries in this game. Despite both starters sitting and Travis Homer calling it a night early in the game, Johnson barely saw the field. When he was playing, he was mostly ineffective.
Nichols has clearly jumped him on the depth chart, and it felt like the team would rather take a long look at Eli Heidenreich as opposed to giving Johnson carries. It seems like a matter of when, not if, Johnson will be cut or traded this offseason.
Winner: Drew Allar
On the flip side of things, Drew Allar looked like a star in this game. Yes, he was playing against the bottom end of the roster, but he was also not surrounded by elite talent. What was really impressive was his overall accuracy, something he struggled with in school.
Howard is making a push to be the backup this year, but Allar is showing some true potential to develop into something. The talent is there, and the coaching staff is seemingly making some strong progress in turning him into something.
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