Tomlin’s preseason philosophy sets up Steelers for strong regular season start
NFL coaches all have a different philosophy when it comes to when and how their players play in the preseason.
In the past, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin hasn’t been shy about playing his star players in these exhibition games, though his process has come with risks.
Of course, playing a star athlete who is earning millions of dollars per season is one of those risks. For example, former Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was injured during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers years ago, and was missed the entire regular season. A tough break cost K Shaun Suisham his career while attempting a tackle on subpar turf in Canton, Ohio during the Hall of Fame Game.
Similar events have occurred with other players, with the result that coaches limit those multimillionaires from seeing the field during games which don’t count on their record. Instead, veterans such as Ben Roethlisberger, would maybe see a series or two of action during a four-game slate of preseason games. With a new CBA agreed to a few years ago, teams and players agreed to shorten the preseason to only three games, which has altered the ebb and flow of how those are operated.
In some cases, there’s still a “dress rehearsal” game where more starters are featured than not. Or, in the case of the Steelers facing the Atlanta Falcons last week, there was a mix of starters against roster hopefuls, depending on the matchups and what each coaching staff wanted to evaluate.
That gave fans a lot of excitement, including the 64,046 in attendance for the Steelers only home preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. However, watching your favorite team’s game is not the only way to have fun when it comes to sports. Betting and gambling industries can offer an instant withdrawal casino UK, bonuses, promotions and an opportunity to engage in the sporting event even more.
The shorter preseason and young roster talent gave Coach Tomlin an advantage in 2023, as the bulk of his veteran players weren’t required to have the spotlight on them. Yet, the team still had quality time on the field.
The first example is second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, who wasn’t the team’s starter one year ago. Although he is now, he is far from having the luxury that Big Ben had in terms of experience, and needed reps during these exhibition games.
So did most of Pickett’s offensive teammates, including fellow second-year pro WR George Pickens. The duo made the most of their reps – and short work of opposing defenses. Other young players seeing decent amounts of playing time included RB Jaylen Warren along with rookies Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr., Keeanu Benton, Darnell Washington, and Nick Herbig.
The influx of young talent was showcased throughout each of the team’s three games.
The preseason opened with a 27-17 Steelers win against the Buccaneers. The first drive of the Steelers’ preseason was a precursor for the rest of the game. Pickett was sharp on his first and only drive of the game, completing six of seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown to Pickens.
Big plays continued for the Steelers offense, which they have been lacking for most of the past few seasons. Pickett delivered a great 25-yard score to Pat Freiermuth, Warren sprinted practically untouched for a 62-yard score, and the Steelers breezed past the Bills 27-15 in a game where most of Buffalo’s starters were present for the first half.
The momentum continued into Atlanta as the Steelers blanked the Falcons 24-0. Pickett went four of four passing for 86 yards, capping off his three-game preseason with a perfect passer rating.
This is what comes as an advantage to the Steelers, as Roethlisberger wouldn’t have played in more than a single game. Likewise, the Steelers sat others such as Pouncey, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and more, as the preseason featured more third string or deeper roster bubble players.
The defense similarly benefitted, despite Tomlin opting to still sit veterans such as Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Newer additions to the team such as Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander received generous playing time alongside lesser experienced players such as Mark Robinson and the aforementioned Nick Herbig. The blend of players contributed to Robinson tying for a preseason team second best 12 tackles and a forced fumble, while Herbig led all defenders with 3.5 sacks.
In past preseasons, the coach would’ve had to sit more of his veterans due to a longer stretch of games and more risk of injuring starters: or lesser playing time for rookies and newer players, as they were filling more prominent roles other than depth.
With the larger roster turnaround of the last two-to-three seasons, Mike Tomlin was able to get most of his starting depth chart, and the primary rotational players, squeezed into the three-game frame. Because of this, and since other coaches didn’t have the same philosophy or luxury, we should see a start to the regular season that’s unbecoming of the Steelers. As noted, traditionally they would still be working the kinks out in September as an extension of having not played their main players in the preseason.
However, with nearly everyone getting an opportunity to gel before the season begins, we should see Pittsburgh prepared to play unlike any other start to a season when they host the San Francisco 49ers on September 10th, at the Acrisure Stadium home opener.
