by Brandon Walker, For New Pittsburgh Courier
In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 32-25 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 13, there were a lot of takeaways that came out of the game. The Good: Three quarterbacks looked good, the two backup running backs looked ready to step up, and George Pickens looks like the next great Steelers wide receiver. The Bad: The run defense in general, particularly Devin Bush and any other linebacker not named Myles Jack. The OK: The offensive line got beat on a few plays in the first half.
Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s game.
The quarterbacks all looked great
Mitch Trubisky led the Steelers on the first two drives of the game and his first drive led them on a seven-play, 90-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard TD pass to Gunner Olszewski. On his second drive, he made a nice throw to Conner Heyward for 16 yards and a first down. Trubisky went 4 for 7 for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Mason Rudolph came into the game and showed why he is making the case to be the starter. On the third play of his first drive, he put a beautiful ball to Pickens in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown. However, he did throw a couple of passes that could have been intercepted. Rudolph did lead the Steelers on a 17-play, 82-yard drive that led to a field goal. Rudolph went 9 for 15 for 93 yards and the touchdown.
Then, the stadium went crazy when Kenny Pickett came into the game and did not disappoint. He showed pocket presence well beyond his years, made plays with his arm and feet, and showed poise in the two-minute drill to find Tyler Vaughns in the end zone for the game-winning score.
The way I see it now, Trubisky is the starter, Pickett is the backup and I see a scenario where Rudolph will be traded. Rudolph can play in this league but his time in Pittsburgh has run his course, whether it be Ben’s (Roethlisberger) objection to drafting him, the helmet incident in Cleveland, or failing to beat a winless Detroit Lions team. It is time for them to move on.
Jaylen Warren and George Pickens are beasts
Warren is a 5-foot-8, 215-pound rookie out of Oklahoma State who was hitting the hole and following his blockers all night long and he was catching the ball out of the backfield. He runs with authority, and he is a willing pass blocker. He did have the fumble but as long as he cleans that up, he will make an impact in 2022. As for Pickens, he showed that he could be the next great Steelers wide receiver. Not only did he have those two incredible catches, but he pancaked Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant on a running play. This is what the Steelers needed in the receiver room, someone who can bring the fight to their opponents and someone who has his mind in the right place and puts the game of football first.
Devin Bush is officially a bust
I know when a team gives up six yards a carry rushing, it is on everybody involved, but when you have the green dot, you must hold some blame. Bush was slow, hesitant, and looked completely lost. Bush was not involved in any play, and I don’t think he gave the effort to even be on the roster, much less be a starter. I’m not talking about the 16-yard run by Travis Homer where Bush looked bad. I’m not even talking about the play after that where Homer got another 10 yards. I’m referring to the first play of the Seahawks’ second offensive drive; Bush had a play on Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker but pulled up and forced Ahkillo Witherspoon to make the tackle and as a result, hurt his shoulder. There is a standard when playing linebacker for the Steelers that one must uphold, and he will never live up to it. I suggest the Steelers not start him but give him a fresh start somewhere else.
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