Preseason game No. 2 didn’t go the Steelers’ way Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium, but coach Mike Tomlin liked what he saw of a couple of rookies in particular in the 17-14 last-second loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tomlin mentioned Derrick Harmon, the club’s No. 1 draft pick, and third-round selection Kaleb Johnson as having solid outings as the team dropped to 1-1 in exhibition play.
“There certainly were some positive things,” Tomlin said after Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin booted a 42-yard field goal with time running out to give his team the win.
“I thought several players took a step forward, two young guys in particular. (Derrick) Harmon and Kaleb Johnson really took a step forward off their first performance. Again, that’s a reasonable thing to expect. The second time stepping into a stadium you see more of their talents. I think we talked about that a couple days ago in anticipation of the game.”
Harmon, the defensive tackle from Oregon, had 3 tackles, including a sack and a tackle for loss.
“Really just playing within the defense, trying to do my best to help the team out to the best of my ability,” Harmon said about the sack. “First sack as a rookie, felt good. It’s the preseason so just ready to get that one in the regular season. That’s it.
“Week one was kind of rough for me. I took a big…not a big jump, but just more trusted my ability in the second game. Still a lot of work to do in the back end. Still a lot of work as far as me individually and the team, so just ready to get back to the work.”
Johnson, the Iowa product who looked tentative in his preseason debut the week before against Jacksonville, rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries and caught one pass for 9 yards.
Another bright spot for the Steelers was the play of wide receiver Roman Wilson, who missed virtually his entire rookie season last year. Wilson caught two passes for 72 yards, including one of 42 yards early in the game.
Pittsburgh finishes its preseason schedule Thursday at Carolina and will open the regular season on the road Sunday, Sept. 7, against the New York Jets.
Photos by Mike Longo Jr.
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