When the NFL trimmed the preseason from four games to three a few years ago, it took away a final opportunity for those hoping to make a push for a roster spot, that one last opportunity to show something in a game setting.
Many coaches also began treating the third preseason game like it was the fourth preseason game, as well, holding their starters out.
But with a two period between the preseason finale and the start of the regular season, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will try to strike a balance between those two things when his team travels to Detroit Saturday for its preseason finale.
He wants to give his starting units one last tuneup before they open the regular season Sept. 8 in Atlanta, while also giving players fighting for roster spots one last chance to make a statement.
"Our mindset regarding this game is kind of a unique one, probably because we're trying to get the best of both worlds. This is our third preseason game, and historically, the third preseason game has been a dry rehearsal for the regulars, and we have that mentality," Tomlin said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "That's why we did the simulation work week.
"But also it has some characteristics of the old fourth preseason game, because it's the last opportunity for some men to state the case for themselves, to find jobs, to define roles, to show what they're capable of."
The Steelers prepare for the preseason Week 3 matchup against the Detroit Lions
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Jacob Copeland (89) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LuQuay Washington (40) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Jacob Copeland (89) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback John Rhys Plumlee (18) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back La'Mical Perine (38) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers center Ryan McCollum (62) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson (41) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers center Ryan McCollum (62) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee (23) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. (65) and Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Devery Hamilton (67) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers punter Cameron Johnston (5) and Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell (9) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers center Zach Frazier (54) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Pittsburgh Steelers center Ryan McCollum (62) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers)
Balancing that won't be easy, but it will be what Tomlin and his staff hash out before the ball is kicked off at Ford Field.
One thing that Tomlin does know is that Russell Wilson will be the team's starting quarterback in this game. Justin Fields will be the backup.
"Nothing's changed in terms of the positioning of those guys, and yes, he will start," Tomlin said.
The Steelers' first-team offense has failed to put any points on the board in this preseason.
Both Wilson and Fields are new to the team, so seeing them perform in this offense is important.
But with Wilson out with a calf injury, Fields started the team's preseason opener against Houston, failing to produce any points in three possessions.
Wilson started last week against Buffalo, with the offense continuing to struggle. He failed to produce any points in five possessions.
New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense has looked good in practice settings working against the Steelers defense, but that hasn't yet translated over to game play just yet.
Miscues, whether they have been botched snaps, penalties or sacks, have been an issue that have put both quarterbacks into third-and-long situations that haven't offered the best chance of success.
Tomlin would like to see those cleaned up before the team heads to Atlanta.
"I want to see the fruit of the labor that I've seen out here on the practice field. We've had some really awesome practice days and shown really good consistency and fundamentals and splash-play ability, but I haven't seen it in a stadium yet," Tomlin said. "So in a perfect world, I'd like to see that in the stadium before I move on to provide reps to some other guys that are trying to get a job for themselves."
It also will be an opportunity for some regulars who were the focal point of some of the issues to put those issues in the past.
Second-year tackle Broderick Jones, for example, had a rough day against the Bills. But Tomlin isn't concerned about that now as much as he is seeing Jones bounce back from a bad day at the office.
"We don't care about criticism," Tomlin said of the disparaging remarks Jones has faced since that game. "That's the world we live in. We're professionals. His response to performance will be judged on his next performance."
Much the same could be said of the first-team offense as a whole. And that includes Wilson, whom Smith said was somewhat limited in his first game last week against Buffalo due to the calf issue.
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"I give 'Russ a lot of credit for going out there," Smith said earlier this week. "I think a lot of guys in this situation may have tapped out. He hadn't had enough reps. He wanted to go out there. Internally, we limited him to some of the schemes we were trying to do. It didn't go clearly the way we wanted it to. So, there's some things that I didn't call for him that I did call for Justin."
That won't be the case in this game.
"As far as mobility, based on what I've seen out here this week, I don't think there is going to be any restrictions on him schematically," Tomlin said.
