Steelers Gameday Steelers News
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have rested the majority of their starters on both sides of the ball, but their depth shined bright in Jacksonville, as they were able to come away victorious to open the 2025 NFL preseason. For the most part, the team ran a clean operation by taking care of the football, not committing many penalties, and most importantly, avoiding any major injuries on the night. As is tradition here at Steelers Now, we’ll take a look at the dudes and duds from the contest.
Dude: CB Brandin Echols
With the top three cornerbacks all resting on the night, Brandin Echols got plenty of reps early in the first half and was arguably the best player for either team. Whether it was coming downhill to make, approaching perimeter blocks with physicality, or staying sticky in coverage, he looked the part. His best play came as the cloud corner in cover-2, perfectly midpointing the smash concept and nearly coming away with an interception. Not many teams have four competent corners, but it’s a luxury the Steelers appear to have.
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jack Sawyer after a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 9, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Duds: Rookie Pass Rush
Preseason gives us our first glimpse of what rookies look like in the pros, and as a collective, the first-year pass rushers were very quiet. Throughout the first half, the pocket was far too clean due to the lack of wins up front. Derrick Harmon’s best rep of the night came on the opening drive of the second half, in which he was able to create a little bit of push up the middle, which helped force an interception (one that was ultimately wiped away due to penalty). Jack Sawyer played to the whistle but was mostly ineffective off the edge. I thought Yahya Black would have gotten a tad more snaps early in the contest.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and tight end Darnell Washington celebrate a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 9, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Dudes: Opening Drive Offense
Sure, it’s only preseason. But slow starts have plagued the Steelers for years, and it was good to see Coach Tomlin’s troops come out firing in attack mode. Mason Rudolph was sharp, completing his first seven passes. We saw some Arthur Smith staples off play-action, getting Roman Wilson involved on a crossing route on the first play of the game. Once they got into the red zone, Darnell Washington traveled uncovered up the seam for an easy six points. Most notably, the offensive tackles both held their own on an island on this particular rep going up against Jacksonville’s starting edge duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.
Dud: TE Connor Heyward
It was a rough night offensively for Heyward, with him struggling mightily as a blocker. In the first half, he was blown backwards while also being called for holding. In the second half, the Steelers ran a “zorro” toss with him as the motion man, and he was blasted backwards again. Over the past couple years, it’s become evident that he’s a player without a real position due to his size and skill set. There’s value in his special teams acumen, but it’s worth noting that they have other guys that can contribute there as well.
Dude: FS Juan Thornhill
Every defensive coach wants a tone setter over the middle of the field, and Juan Thornhill proved once again that he’s a guy capable of delivering the boom. With Trevor Lawrence working a drift post over the middle, the free safety triggered downhill immediately and was able to jar the ball loose on contact. He’s a veteran that doesn’t need a ton of playing time in a setting like this, but him making an immediate impact play like that from the post was very notable. Without Minkah Fitzpatrick, he’s received a ton of work throughout training camp, with the early returns being positive to this point. If Pittsburgh is going to reach their ceiling defensively, they’re going to need him to be a steadying hand on the back end.
Dud: OG Doug Nester
After spending last year on the Steelers practice squad, Doug Nester one of a couple interior guys looking to make a push for one of the final spots on the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, tonight was not his best showing. He was frequently driven backwards on contact after allowing guys to get into his frame and pad level seemed to be an issue on occasion.
Dude: WR Ke’Shawn Williams
Along with Roc Taylor, Williams was a player that I was interested to see during tonight’s contest, and he didn’t disappoint. He’s a capable returner that can force missed tackles with the ball in his hands, which was on display during his 16-yard return Saturday night. To cap off the night, he hauled in a beautiful bomb down the right sideline from Skylar Thompson, who also had a very solid outing.
Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 9, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Dude: Jaguars K Cam Little
Listen: if you put a 70-yarder through the uprights during an NFL game, you deserve your flowers. Respect to him.
Mentioned In This Article: Brandin Echols Darnell Washington Juan Thronhill Ke’Shawn Williams Mason Rudolph Steelers top