The Pittsburgh Steelers' first two preseason games of 2024 haven't gone the way Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith hoped they would on the offensive side of the ball. The Steelers' first-team offense still have failed to put any type of points on the board against the Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills. With the last preseason game against the Detroit Lions on the road, Tomlin needs to see the first unit perform in the stadium like they have been in practice this offseason.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin during 2024 OTAs.
The Steelers are treating this third preseason game as a "dry rehearsal." Tomlin told the media during his presser that he wants to see the great things that the offense has done throughout all of the practices in a stadium setting. Tomlin needs to see the offense make the splash plays and consistency that he watched all offseason, something he needs to see before allowing players fighting for a roster spot to get on the field Saturday afternoon.
"In the mindset that it's a dry rehearsal man, I want to see the fruit of the labor that I have seen out here on the practice field. We've had some really awesome practice days and showing really good consistency and fundamentals and splash play ability, but I haven't seen it in stadium yet. So in a perfect world, I'd like to see that in the stadium before I move on to provide reps with some other guys that are trying to get a job for themselves."
The Steelers will be playing everyone that are not dealing with injuries in their preseason finale. While the game will not count in the win-loss column for the 2024 season, Pittsburgh is going to want to walk out of Detroit with a win. That will start with how well the first-team performs with Russell Wilson leading them once again. Wilson's debut in the black and gold wasn't one to remember. He finished the day with 47 yards in the air, converting only one third down in six attempts, and sacked three times.
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Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson during his first real action in Pittsburgh in their matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Tomlin is hopeful that the first-team unit will finally perform well in a stadium setting, and to be able to give opportunities to those still working for a spot on the roster. Tomlin's mindset for their matchup with Detroit is seeing the offense eliminate the mental errors that has held them back in their first two preseason games and put the ball in the end zone. Tomlin and the staff has seen them do it, so the expectations and calmness that he and his staff has shown isn't false hope.
The Steelers will be missing a few key pieces on their offense in Detroit. Jaylen Warren will be out with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the Bills game. Two of their rookies will also not be able to suit up Saturday as Roman Wilson is still trying to come back from an ankle injury from the start of training camp and Troy Fautanu is still recovering from his knee injury from the Texans game.
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Head Coach Mike Tomlin looking on during a Pittsburgh Steelers game.
Steelers' First-Team Offense Has To Show Up In Detroit
With less than three weeks until their season opener on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, the time for the Steelers' offense to show consistent play is of the essence. From cutting down the mental errors, to taking advantage of splash plays, the first-team offense needs to show more positives than negatives in Detroit. While the lack of points have many fans concerned heading into Week 1, the coaching staff is still confident that the offense will figure it out by September 8th. As Smith said earlier this week, the offense is getting in their own way and they need to get back to the basics.
Will the Steelers' offense show the consistency, fundamentals, and splash plays that Tomlin was raving about in his press conference, or will Pittsburgh fans see another sad outing by the group? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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