The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off their preseason with a matchup against the Houston Texans, but it wasn’t the start they had hoped for. The Texans controlled much of the game, and despite a brief spark in the second half, the Steelers fell short, losing 20-12.
Matt Freed / ap photo
Steelers' Justin Fields avoids a pass rusher as he throws the football.
While it’s important not to overreact to preseason outcomes, which often aren’t reflective of a team’s true potential, the Steelers' performance raised some concerns. Preseason games are meant to iron out kinks and build momentum, but Pittsburgh’s execution was lacking across the board.
One of the most disappointing aspects was the special teams unit, which had garnered considerable hype heading into the season. On Friday night, however, it fell flat, failing to live up to expectations. Head Coach Mike Tomlin didn’t hold back in his assessment, openly expressing his frustration with the unit’s performance. Tomlin, known for his high standards, wasn’t interested in sugarcoating what he saw from his special teams unit on Friday night.
"Just looking at it from a special teams perspective," Tomlin said. "The field position and points standpoint was JV [Junior Varsity]. We had a block in the back on a kickoff return. From a field position perspective, we ran out of bounds without being forced on a punt. That provided awesome field position for them [the Texans]."
Tomlin witnessed his special teams unit make several crucial mistakes during the game. In the high-stakes environment of the NFL, such errors can be costly. One glaring issue was a bad snap on an extra point attempt, which Tomlin directly attributed to long snapper Christian Kuntz. This mishap resulted in a missed extra point by Matthew Wright.
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Steelers' Quez Watkins (16) and Calvin Austin III (19) during practice.
Another significant disappointment from Friday night was newly acquired wide receiver Quez Watkins. He muffed a punt, which not only cost the Steelers a drive, but also allowed the Texans to score as a result. Watkins’ blunder proved to be a major turning point in the game, marking a rough debut for him in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin expressed his astonishment that the game remained as close as it did, given the poor performance of the special teams unit. The Steelers' ability to stay competitive despite these issues was unexpected, but Tomlin remains focused on addressing these problems before the regular season begins.
"We had a bad snap on the extra point. We muffed a punt that produced seven points," Tomlin stated. "You can’t play football like that and think you are going to be in games. Really, it’s amazing we had the ball in a one-score game at the end when you consider those things."
Steelers Had A Rough Night Against Houston Texans
While it’s still early, and preseason results aren’t definitive, the Steelers will need to address these issues quickly to ensure they’re ready when the regular season begins. Fans will be watching closely to see how the team responds and whether they can shake off this rough start and get back on track.
Associated Press
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks up at the scoreboard after a loss.
It’s just the preseason, so there’s still time for Pittsburgh to refine their game. However, Tomlin wasn’t pleased with much of Friday night’s performance. He noted that both the offense and defense appeared to be playing at a JV level as well.
Despite the disappointing showing, Steelers fans had the chance to see some of their new players in action. They will be hoping for a stronger performance in their next preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, August 17.
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