Gerry Dulac: Steelers get first look at some key pieces in sloppy preseason finale

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Steelers finally found some time for running back Jaylen Warren and tight end Pat Freiermuth, got another impressive eyeful of Skylar Thompson and put their newly constructed secondary on the field together for the first, albeit brief, time.

Oh, yeah, and it took only one play in his first appearance in uniform to see the full Jalen Ramsey package in person.

The Steelers finished their preseason with a 2-1 record after their 19-10 victory against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, and the good news is they managed to get a handful of snaps for the first time for some of their starters.

Now they get to wait 16 days to see if some of their questions have been answered before they open the regular season Sept. 7 against the New York Jets and former quarterback Justin Fields.

“Hey, we’re not a finished product, but no one is,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “I’m looking for this group to take advantage of this block of time between now and the opener.”

“I think we got a lot of talent,” Freiermuth said. “It will be good to put an exclamation point on training — what we’re good at, what we need to improve on as a team — and go into Week 1 in New York.”

However, the Steelers didn’t get through the finale unscathed: No. 1 pick Derrick Harmon left the game in the first half with a sprained knee and will have an MRI on Friday. His injury is not considered season-ending, but he is expected to be out at least a couple weeks, according to team sources.

And it wasn’t exactly a textbook performance, either. The Steelers committed 13 penalties for 104 yards, wiping out long runs and tackles for losses in some instances. The only thing perhaps worse was the sloppy tackling.

Oh well, it’s the preseason, and now they play for keeps.

“The tackling was shaky at best,” Tomlin said. “I think they had 100 yards rushing at halftime [102], and that’s just kind of indicative how poor the tackling was at times.”

Rookie kicker Ben Sauls, who played at Pitt, may have provided an audition for another team with field goals of 28, 38, 49 and 50 yards.

Thompson completed his first five passes to produce a touchdown and a 53-yarder to receiver Scotty Miller with three seconds remaining to set up a field goal as time expired at halftime. All told, he was 11 of 13 for 152 yards with a 141.0 passer rating.

Thompson finished the preseason 41 of 56 (73.2%) for 498 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. His three-game passer rating was 116.52, which could be enough to force the Steelers to make some kind of roster move with injured rookie quarterback Will Howard.

“He’s got playing experience,” Tomlin said. “This guy started games in Miami, and so that experience shows.”

Warren had a 6-yard run on the first play negated by a Zach Frazier holding penalty, and Kenneth Gainwell had a 24-yard run wiped out by Freiermuth’s holding infraction.

Then there was Ramsey, who was acquired in a trade shortly before training camp.

Appearing with Darius Slay Jr. and Joey Porter Jr. for the first time, Ramsey stopped running back Trevor Etienne for a 3-yard loss on his first tackle with the Steelers. But he was also penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct when he threw Etienne to the ground after he stopped him.

Asked about the play, Tomlin said, “I’d rather say, ‘Whoa’ than ‘sic em.’ ”

Ramsey, Slay and Porter appeared for only one series.

“I like the attitude of everyone,” said Warren, who carried two times for 3 yards and caught two passes for 12 yards in his first appearance of the preseason. “Everyone’s willing to pitch in for their brother who is willing to play with them.”

Thompson continued to play himself on to the 53-man roster, completing 5 of 5 attempts for 72 yards and a 24-yard touchdown to Lance McCutcheon on his first series in the second quarter. It has been that way all preseason for Thompson, a former Miami Dolphins quarterback who was considered to be an afterthought when he was signed to a reserve futures contract in January.

One of the reasons Arthur Smith likes Thompson is because he’s not afraid to attack. He showed it when he completed a deep 53-yard pass to Miller with three seconds remaining to set up Sauls’ 38-yard field goal as time expired.

“That’s out of my control,” Thompson said when asked about making the final roster. “It’s out of my hands. I have a lot of faith, and whatever this next step is for me, it’s going to be a good step. And I feel like I put my best foot forward, and ultimately, for me personally, that’s the best feeling.”

And it was another strong showing by rookie defensive tackle Yahya Black, their fifth-round pick, who sacked quarterback Bryce Perkins for an 8-yard loss then pressured him into a lost fumble on the next play that set up Sauls’ 50-yard field goal for a 13-10 lead.

Then there were players such as DeMarvin Leal, a former third-round choice playing as though he feared his roster spot was in jeopardy. Leal is in his fourth season, and the Steelers have never really settled on where they want him to play. He was drafted as a defensive lineman but has been used as an edge rusher/outside linebacker throughout the entire training camp.

But Leal was very active in the first half, though his two tackles for loss were a result of offsides and facemask penalties.

“Let’s just say the body is healthier than what it’s been,” Leal said. “[Injuries] definitely put a toll on me, for sure, but we figured it out, and I’m just taking it week by week, day by day.”