Pregame Blog: Steelers vs. Bills

Aug 17, 2024 at 04:00 PM

Teresa Varley

Steelers.com

Setting the tone for the preseason: For the past three weeks, there has been hitting, the popping of pads, and big plays taking over the fields at Saint Vincent College during training camp.

Some players have called it the most physical camp they have ever been a part of.

For linebacker T.J. Watt, it's been just perfect.

"Physicality, intensity it's been great. It really has," Watt shared with me. "We've gotten the most out of training camp. It's been a lot of fun. It's been great to see personalities show on and off the field.

"And we have a really, really competitive football team, a deep football team at a lot of positions. And it's been a lot of fun to be a part of."

Training camp is where it all begins for teams, and Watt wants it to end hoisting the Lombardi Trophy this year, so the tougher camp is, the better.

"It's huge. You set the tone now for what you want to do in January and February," said Watt. "We've gotten to a point now where we have a lot of guys on this team like myself, who haven't gotten to the places where we want to go, but we know what it takes. That starts here.

"There's a sense of urgency, and the sense of urgency has been there since the beginning of the offseason."

The best part about camp for Watt has been the balance. Through all of the drills, including the highly competitive Seven Shots, there have been wins on both sides of the ball, showing the work both sides are putting in.

"Absolutely the improvement has been on both sides," said Watt. "It hasn't been lopsided. It's not like the defense is winning every single day. It's not like the offense is winning every single day. We've been challenging each other, pushing each other, getting sick of each other. But it's really good.

"I feel like we're relatively healthy still, guys are playing well, and hopefully that pushes into the rest of the preseason and the season."

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— Acrisure Stadium (@AcrisureStadium) August 17, 2024

Getting his props: Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was presented with the PNC Joe Greene Great Performance Award at halftime, given annually to the team's rookie of the year. Porter was the 2023 winner of the honor, voted on by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Porter, the Steelers second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is someone who never backs down from a challenge in football and that was evident during his rookie season.

Family Day: Join other families of Steelers Nation for all the pregame fun, including Steely McBeam and other team mascots from around the area, interactive games, face painting, live music and more.

Honoring America: KDKA-TV Meteorologist Mary Ours will sing the National Anthem.

Enter early: Acrisure Stadium Management and the Pittsburgh Steelers are reminding fans to enter the stadium early to ensure they will not miss kickoff.

Fireworks, which will be presented by Zambelli Fireworks, will be set off an hour prior to kickoff and 30 minutes prior to kickoff to serve as reminders for fans to enter Acrisure Stadium so they will not miss all of the pregame activities, including Steelers introductions and kickoff.

Fans are also being reminded of the mobile ticketing process in place at Acrisure Stadium. Prior to coming to Acrisure Stadium, fans should:

• Save their mobile tickets to the digital wallet on their smartphone.

• Make sure their phones are fully charged.

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Visit the Official Steelers Pro Shop: Gear up for gameday by visiting the Official Steelers Pro Shop located on Art Rooney Ave at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers Pro Shop offers a variety of on-field sideline gear, jerseys, hats, terrible towels and more direct from the team.

Check out what you can find here.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)