My thoughts on preseason wk 3

I didn’t see the game yet, but I did watch about 20 minutes of highlights.Cook played okay. Max I needs a lot of work. I don’t think he’s reached the point of playing without being a liability yet. Spears has moved into the sub package on defense. Dude is a force against the run. He’s no longer just a special teams guy. Rubio is a real keeper. He penetrates against the run. Wetjen showed why he’ll shine in his role. Bernard flashed talent, but he only made one play. Allar was all right, but he didn’t shine with guys who are going to get cut. He was playing with the second-half guys in the last preseason game. Dunker played a lot and I thought he did well. Who is RB #3? He could be on another team right now, about to get cut. Agreed on Roberts.



https://steelersdepot.com/2026/08/preseason-week-3-pff-grades-offensive-rookies-shine-in-finale/

 

Just like at Penn St.

 

He's seems slow on TV. Slower than the other RBs. Doesn't hit the holes and have that 2nd gear like Warren. Body language says he's not all in.

 

Harris could break tackles and had a nasty stiff arm, Johnson gets in one on one situations and can't juke or break the tackle.

 

One of the things both Howard and Allar need to work on is knowing when to throw a laser beam and when a soft touch is needed. I think on the final drive, Drew started rolling out, not a designed QB run but looked like he would try to get the first down but saw a receiver come open and threw it. It was a catchable ball but if he just side arms it or takes just a bit off it then the completion happens.

 

Yes, hence the "bulk up" suggestion... Harris broke very few tackles behind the line when he wasn't moving fast, but once he got moving it was hard for DB's to tackle him due to his size and momentum. Even the LB's kinda just hung on and drug him down had the line blocked him 5 yards. Right now, Johnson is getting soloed by DB's. He probably needs to add weight to break those tackles, because it doesn't seem like he's going to get shiftier.

 

Gaining weight would probably make Johnson even slower.

 

I think it's important to remember that as one of the worse return teams in the league for a while, we've mostly been getting the "a lot of no yardage returns" in the recent past.

 

Some fans got carried away by Cook's performance last season, seems like his play hasn't been as good since then.

 

Yeah, but Najee was terribly slow too. I don't know. It was just a suggestion for Johnson... maybe he just isn't an NFL back no matter what he does.

 

I don't know how anyone that watched that game thought Howard bounced back. He had 2 tds, but both were thrown behind the line of scrimmage, and he didn't drive the field, both were because of Buffalos ST. A muffed punt return, and a very very very poor punt.
I believe off the top of my head, I didn't go back , and check so I could be a bit off, but only 6 pass were thrown beyond the line of scrimmage, and 4 of those were incomplete, and one was a int.

 

You are going to make Joel cry

 

No
Piss poor decision making at times
Along with airballs