The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the exhibition season on Friday night and found a way to squeak out a 30-28 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh was minus most of their top starters on both sides of the football, but it didn’t change that fact that this was exciting football with plenty of great moments.
Here are our four big takeaways from the game:
James Washington is for real
After a grossly disappointing rookie season, it appears Washington has come back with a vengeance. Washington hauled in an easy four receptions on five targets for 84 yards and a touchdown. Without Donte Moncrief and Diontae Johnson in the lineup, Washington shone.
Devin Bush is even more for real
Speaking of shine, the star on defense was Bush. The rookie linebacker was everywhere in the first half. He finished his time with 10 total tackles, seven of which were solo. He dropped into coverage and had a pass breakup, and he rushed the passer, nearly getting a sack.
Mason Rudolph is really pushing Joshua Dobbs
Dobbs won the backup position outright in 2018. But if this game is any indication, he’s going to have a hard time holding off Rudolph. This isn’t to say Dobbs had a bad game, but you can really see how far Rudolph has grown as a player in the offseason. His passes have more zip on them, he’s keeping his head up and maintaining his poise, and he’s doing well with his progressions.
How about Ulysees Gilbert III?
We know it was late in the game, but Gilbert showed that speed is the great equalizer and he has plenty of it. In limited action, Gilbert got three tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble. It’s going to be great to watch him progress as a player during the preseason.
