Winners and Losers From Steelers vs. Lions: Rookies Bring Out Old School Big Ben
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed fans back to Heinz Field in style, defeating the Detroit Lions in their third preseason game, 26-20.
It was a runaway win for most of the first three quarters before an onside kick with a little over three minutes left gave the Lions an opportunity to make the score respectable.
Before that, it was all Pittsburgh. Which is nice because it means there are fewer losers to talk about.
The Steelers' rookies stole the show in their first NFL home game.
"With this rookie group we get better every day," Najee Harris said after the game. "Coming in a lot of us had a good opportunity to play as rookies. To get better every day as a rookie was really emphasized a lot this year because a lot of us would play early. I am happy to see Pat, KG [Kendrick Green] and Dan [Moore Jr.] all out there making plays and doing a good job."
Don't worry, Najee, you did well too.
Winners
Najee Harris, Running Back
Harris didn't have the best day on the ground, but the rookie showed everyone why his viral "Bro, what?" meme is accurate.
Harris caught a pass on third down from Ben Roethlisberger, stiff-armed a defender, outran four more and made another two miss before being brought down.
The 46-yard pass play led to a Steelers touchdown drive. Maybe it was having a starting offensive line or a Hall of Fame quarterback, but Harris showed exactly why he was the right pick at 24.
Pat Freiermuth, Tight End
"He's doing good. He works hard. He's a Steelers," Roethlisberger said on Freiermuth. "He reminds me of another tight end we've had here before."
There is no better compliment in Pittsburgh than being compared to Heath Miller. Some tried with Jesse James, but there's no contest as to who the real "Baby Heath" is. Freiermuth is going to be something special.
"I'd like for other teams not to know too much about him," Roethlisberger laughed.
After this game, everyone knows Pat Freiermuth.
Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback
Vintage Big Ben was on full display as the Steelers routed the Lions for their third preseason win.
There were moments when Roethlisberger was breaking tackles, running to the other side of the field and finding open receivers. There were other moments when he pump-faked the entire defense and the cameraman out of position.
There's a feeling in the air that this season is do-or-die for Big Ben. If it's No. 7's last ride, you better believe he's about to put everything he has on the football field this season.
Kendrick Green, Center
Kendrick Green opened up a hole for Harris' longest run of the night, taking on two defenders and forcing an opening for his running back.
The rookie center had some expectations coming into training camp, but not enough to believe he'd already be a force in the NFL. But here we are, and Green appears to be every bit of starter-ready as he can be.
Melvin Ingram, Edge Rusher
Imagine what the Steelers defense is going to look like when it's T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Melvin Ingram coming off the edge? Usually, offensive lines have a few plays throughout the game where they only have to focus on one side of the edge rush because someone needs a break. Not this season.
Ingram looks like the three-time Pro Bowler he is. He's healthy, you can see the veteran presence in him, and he's tearing through tackles and tight ends.
He found his way to the Lions' running back at the 4-yard line, forcing a three-yard loss after blasting the tight end and meeting the handoff.
"You know, all of us on the team, all of us D-linemen just defense and overall, as a whole team, we're trying to push each other to be the best we can be," Alex Highsmith said on Ingram, "but it's been great working with him."
If this group is only going to get better, that's a scary sign for opposing offensive lines.
Losers
Chukwuma Okorafor, Left Tackle
The Steelers' o-line played well with the starters outside of Chukwuma Okorafor.
The left tackle continues to get beat on almost every play, creating no gaps in the run game and being a liability when Roethlisberger moves to his side.
Okorafor opened the game with a false start penalty that Roethlisberger said he'll be kicking himself for all night. What he should really be kicking himself for is the numerous times he was blown up by Lions' edge rusher.
Dan Moore Jr. is playing right tackle behind Zach Banner, but at some point, the Steelers need to consider a change.
Ulysees Gilbert III, Inside Linebacker
When you only play special teams snaps, you're not feeling good about your chances of making a football team. Ulysees Gilbert III went from starting the first preseason game to not playing on defense in his third. Not the progress the Steelers were looking for.
This could be the end of the road for Gilbert in Pittsburgh. There's always been a little bit of hype around him since he arrived in 2019, but that has all but vanished.
His game against the Lions could be his last in a black and gold uniform.
Jaylen Samuels, Running Back
The same concept for Gilbert applies for Samuels. Even after Kalen Ballage missed time with an injury, he still climbed the depth chart ahead of Samuels, and finished with a better night on the ground.
For a player who has started games in Pittsburgh, Samuels carries little chance to make the 53-man roster at this time. His only hope right now is that Benny Snell Jr. is the runner they cut instead of himself.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
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