It may only be the preseason but at least we’re talking about Pittsburgh Steelers football again. These three players performed well against Tampa Bay.
It can’t be understated how disappointing last season was for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite starting 7-2-1, the Steelers lost four of their final six games and finished 9-6-1. The team lost the AFC North to the Baltimore Ravens and missed the playoffs.
The offseason only built on the chaos that followed Pittsburgh’s late-season nose-dive. Antonio Brown, one of the offensive pillars of the franchise, demanded a trade. Brown was arguably the team’s best player and he’d put together one of the best six-year runs by a wide receiver in NFL history.
Despite being on a lucrative contract, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a third- and fifth-round pick. Former All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell signed with the New York Jets in free agency.
With Bell and Brown gone, the drama has slowly faded in Pittsburgh. Players like JuJu Smith-Schuster have focused on getting better and stronger leadership has asserted itself in the locker room. There’s significant hope that the re-focused Steelers will rise to reclaim the division this season.
The 30-28 preseason win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave us a chance to see some of the younger players on the roster. Hopefully, they will be able to contribute when the regular season starts.
3. Ulysees Gilbert III, LB
Gilbert made several plays down the stretch for the Steelers. With just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the undrafted free agent intercepted a Tampa Bay two-point conversion attempt. Those two points ended up being the difference in the game, allowing the Steelers to win in regulation.
Later in the fourth quarter, with less than two minutes remaining and the Bucs driving into Steelers territory, Gilbert strip-sacked Ryan Griffin. The Buccaneers did recover the fumble, but it pushed them over 10 yards in the wrong direction. Then, with less than a minute left, Gilbert got to Griffin again and was credited with half a sack.
Gilbert finished the game with three combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and four quarterback hits. These are the kinds of games that can land a rookie, undrafted free agent on an NFL roster or at least a practice squad.