The beauty of preseason football lies in perspective. For weeks, it’s been easy to believe the Pittsburgh Steelers were a flawless machine gearing up for a 2025 campaign full of fireworks. The optimism was earned—how could it not be?
This offseason was historic. Omar Khan stacked the roster with marquee acquisitions, adding to a core that already carried championship aspirations. Layer in a promising draft class, and it felt like Mike Tomlin was cooking with fire.
But like any good meal, you can’t skip steps. Ingredients are cut, adjustments are made, and even the best chefs burn something now and again.
The Steelers’ 17-14 preseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers served as that reminder. It wasn’t the finished product; it was the messy part of the production process.
For those of us who wear the black and gold in our sleeves, it was a tough pill to swallow. Not because the result mattered—preseason wins don’t hang banners—but because the mistakes were glaring.
Quarterbacks Skylar Thompson and Mason Rudolph combined for two costly interceptions, missing opportunities to create rhythm on offense.
Meanwhile, the defense struggled in an area that’s supposed to be a strength.
The secondary looked vulnerable, surrendering 199 passing yards and two touchdowns to the Buccaneers’ quarterback tandem of Connor Bazelak and Teddy Bridgewater.
And this wasn’t against Pro Bowl starters; these issues came against Tampa Bay’s second and third stringers. That stings.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are far from their final product (and it shows)
Still, the glass remains half full. Context matters, and Mike Tomlin made it clear early in the preseason that this stretch would be about evaluation, not domination.
The Steelers rested most of their starters, opting instead to give role players and developmental talent the snaps they desperately needed.
Mistakes are a byproduct of that process. If anything, Saturday’s loss highlighted exactly who is—and isn’t—ready to contribute when the lights come on in September.
I believe it’s all about tying loose ends before Week 1.
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Preparation is the one luxury the preseason affords. These errors, as frustrating as they are, don’t have to define the Steelers. What defines them is how they respond.
Does Rudolph rebound and prove he’s a reliable insurance policy? Can the secondary tighten up communication and execution? Will Tomlin and his staff turn this shaky performance into the teaching tape that prevents the same cracks from showing in the regular season?
I’ll admit, I caught myself slipping into the trap of thinking this team was already flawless.
The star power has been intoxicating. Rodgers, Ramsey, Metcalf—the names alone spark visions of playoff fireworks. But preseason reminds us all that football is still a game of process, not projection. The final product takes time.
So yes, the Steelers lost momentum with this 17-14 defeat.
The offense sputtered, the defense bent, and the backups looked shaky. But momentum in August is meaningless compared to momentum in January. And as long as Tomlin’s squad learns from this stumble, the setbacks will only sharpen the edge for when it truly counts.
Because in Pittsburgh, it’s never about how you start. It’s about how you finish.