The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first 2025 preseason game Saturday night in Jacksonville. Training camp is nearly over with just two practices next week before a joint session with Tampa Bay ahead of the Steelers’ second preseason game in Pittsburgh.
Mike Tomlin sat 23 veterans along with several players nursing injuries. So, this was a game to gauge the depth of the team. And to see if we could discern whether any roster battles are starting to be resolved.
Game Day Experience
I watched this game from the comfort of my home. As a season ticket holder, I was able to purchase the NFL+ streaming service for $59 for the year. I’ve avoided paying for streaming services to watch sports on principle due to their rising costs, but NFL+ at $59 for the year felt like a steal. Folks who got Pittsburgh coverage could listen to Charlie Batch. But NFL+ had a local Jacksonville crew airing. They droned on and on about some rookie named Travis Hunter. I hit the mute button and listened to Steelers Nation Radio with Rob King, Max Starks, and Ramon Foster.
I also followed along the Steelers Depot Live Update and Discussion Thread to see how other fans reacted to the Steelers’ first foray into 2025. With the viewing setup sorted, let’s dive into how the Steelers’ backups performed.
Steelers Offense
The Steelers sat most of their skill-position starters. The starting offensive line opened the game except for guard Isaac Seumalo. My overall impression was good pass protection as Pittsburgh came out throwing. The run blocking started out okay but declined as the game wore on and the lack of depth on the offensive line stood out. Spencer Anderson gave up a sack. However, the sack was more on Mason Rudolph for holding onto the ball too long. Similar to Skylar Thompson’s sack. Rudolph and Thompson looked sharp. And the receivers had capable hands, especially early in the game.
WRs Ke’Shawn Williams, Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, Roc Taylor, and Brandon Johnson all made some catches.
Thompson hit play-action passes, and both quarterbacks used the middle of the field. Loved the opening touchdown to TE Darnell Washington. The running game was lackluster overall. The Steelers’ 66 yards on 25 carries reflected Jacksonville’s front seven outmatching Pittsburgh’s backup linemen. But Lew Nichols ran hard while bowling over some defenders late in the game. I’d like to see more of him. Max Hurleman the gadget man, scored a touchdown and added a special teams tackle. Maybe a practice squad addition.
Steelers Defense
The defense held its own against Jacksonville’s first-team offense, limiting Trevor Lawrence and crew to a field goal. Brandin Echols shined with a pass breakup and a tackle for a loss. Commentators highlighted Yahya Black early in the game for his presence. But overall, the defensive line did not dominate. No sacks and Jaguars running backs were able to gain positive yardage after being bottled up. But Payton Wilson seemed fluid wearing the Green Dot. And Jack Sawyer got some penetration but was just a step too slow to reach the quarterback. His speed may pick up as he gains NFL experience. Juan Thornhill separated the ball from a receiver.
While the unit held strong overall, a few players had moments that hurt their roster chances, including DB Kyler McMichael. He missed two tackles allowing opposing receivers to pick up valuable yards after the catch. Beanie Bishop Jr. prevented a first down by “tackling the catch.” Bishop led the Steelers with five tackles along with James Pierre. Pierre missed a couple opportunities in coverage but did not play a bad game. Isaiahh Loudermilk was penalized for roughing the passer, which negated an interception. But the contact seemed incidental. Just strict protection of any contact to a quarterback’s helmet by the officials.
Special Teams
Overall, pretty good showing by Danny Smith’s units. The kickoff coverage team did give up some long returns, including a 37-yarder. But with the practice limitations imposed by the collective bargaining agreement, this was likely the first time the coverage unit got some live action. Pittsburgh intersperses special teams drills during camp. But these are usually more like walkthroughs or three-quarter speed. Just another example of the watering down of the NFL product.
With Chris Boswell resting, Ben Sauls did all the kicking. He made all of his extra points, including a 48-yard PAT after Washington was penalized for “dunking the goal post,” according to the official.
Cam Johnston and Corliss Waitman alternated punts. Johnston’s first only went 42 yards and was returned 10 yards. But he later nailed a 52-yard punt to put the Jaguars inside their own 20-yard line. Waitman boomed a field-flipping 57-yard punt.
Trey Sermon and D’Shawn Jamison returned kickoffs, combining to average 28.8 yards on four returns. Ke’Shawn Williams averaged 8.5 yards on two punt returns. A penalty negated one fine return.
Your Hot Takes During the Game
Thank you, Ross McCorkle, for keeping us up to date on the game’s Live Update and Discussion Threads. Steelers Depot respondents contributed 691 first-half comments. Respondents added 336 more second-half comments. Here are the top three comments from each half. Disqus highlighted these top fan reactions.
The top first-half comments:
- SteelersDepot’s top first-half comment welcomed everyone the discussion: “Thank you for joining us tonight. Exciting time of year. Lots of content on the way after the game. Be well.”
- David liked the play of Mason Rudolph. “Well, if Aaron Rodgers gets hurt, I’m feeling pretty good with Mason. Nice drive with no 1st team WR’s or TE’s or RB and he marched them right down with all backups against Jags starters. Impressive.”
- Ralph Neeley gave us some aspirational lyrics and a wish for few injuries. “ Here We Go
Here We Go,
Here We Go…Steelers, Here We Go…
Pittsburgh’s going to the Super Bowl
Here We Go
Looking forward to watching this one. I’ve got eyes on all these guys. Most importantly stay healthy out there!”
The second-half comments slowed as backups took over, but diehard fans stayed vocal past the final whistle:
- Jeremy suddenly found himself alone. “I am in preseason form. Hanging out, by myself, in the first half thread.”
- Zach Shriver marveled at the defense on Jacksonville’s first drive of the game. “Second string defense did an awfully good job holding their starters. Especially with all of our CBs sitting.”
- Beaver Falls Hosiery, yours truly, even got on there following a Steelers touchdown. “Williams with the combat catch TD!”
Impressive job respondents! We did not exceed the standard 1,000 comments per half. But for a preseason game we surpassed typical preseason engagement with lively discussions. Hope you all enjoy the banter on the live update and discussion threads!
Conclusion
Steelers fans should be satisfied with the performance, but this was mostly backups on backups. Most importantly, only one injury that may be a hamstring was reported by HC Mike Tomlin. DB Cam McCutcheon, who intercepted a pass negated by a penalty, was unable to finish the game. Hope he is able to return to practice soon. With just three preseason games not a lot of opportunities to demonstrate you belong on the roster. Still, this game showed the Steelers’ depth has potential—let’s see who steps up next!
Here are several Steelers Depot articles that will provide you finer details on the game:
Steelers Vs. Jaguars Recap by Jake Brockhoff.
Steelers Vs Jaguars Winners and Losers by Alex Kozora.
Tom’s Ten Takes – Steelers Vs. Jaguars by Tom Mead.
Positional Grades: Steelers at Jaguars by Josh Carney.
What Did We Learn From Steelers’ First Preseason Game by Matthew Marczi.
Listen: Steelers Vs. Jaguars Reaction by Alex Kozora.
What did you think of the backups’ performance? Join the discussion on Steelers Depot and let’s keep the momentum going for game two!
Your Song Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. The Steelers are building a team. Hope they are competitive this year. First indications are they could surprise some teams in 2025. Like the upbeat vibe of “Build Me Up Buttercup,” the Steelers are laying the foundation for a competitive season. Here is Build me Up Buttercup performed by The Foundations.
