With the team’s first preseason game coming up on Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers wasted no time getting to work on Tuesday with a full-speed practice. Head coach Mike Tomlin has taken full advantage of these opportunities this season as the Steelers prepare to make a push into the playoffs in 2023.
Here are our takeaways from Tuesday’s practice.
Offense dominates 7 shots
The Steelers ran a spirited round of seven shots and the offense dominated going 6-1. Starting quarterback Kenny Pickett ran four of those drives, scoring on three of them.
Kendrick Green's got a new job
What started at Friday Night Lights has turned into a regular thing for center-turned fullback Kendrick Green. I know Green has said he wanted to focus on the offensive line prior to the coaches adding this new responsibility but you have to love this move if it helps him stay on the roster and adds even more wrinkles to the offense.
All those tight ends
The Steelers trotted out a ton of 12-personnel and even 13-personnel on Tuesday meaning two and three tight end sets. Having essentially four players who can line up at tight end, all with their own set of skills, gives the Pittsburgh offense a ton of versatility.
Injury updates
The safety position remains a concern. Minkah Fitzpatrick was on the field with his team as well as Damontae Kazee. But Keanu Neal and Tre Norwood both missed practice. Pittsburgh is struggling to work out a rotation with these guys due to all the injuries.
Another strong performance for the defensive line
Guys like DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk were catching people’s eyes on Tuesday. Loudermilk is bigger and appears stronger than last season and Leal’s versatility is on full display. This group is as good as we’ve seen in Pittsburgh top to bottom in a very long time.
