4 Winners, 5 Losers From Steelers Victory Over Lions

Stars shined bright as the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Detroit Lions in their preseason finale.

PITTSBURGH -- In their third and final preseason game, the Pittsburgh Steelers held little back. They played their starters extensively and the stars that had seen limited action up to this point were in midseason form. T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick spearheaded a suffocating defensive effort while the offensive line struggled for the third straight week. 

WINNERS

T.J. Watt: The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was a menace during the game's opening drive. Of the five plays that the Lions offense ran, right tackle Penei Sewell and the Detriot line successfully blocked Watt just once. Watt would have recorded a pair of tackles for loss but one was negated by an offside penalty from Larry Ogunjobi. He left the game in the second quarter after suffering a knee injury but head coach Mike Tomlin said it is not a long-term concern. 

Steven Sims: As one of the Steelers receivers battling on the bubble for a dwindling number of roster spots, Sims needed a strong day badly and got one. After Diontae Johnson suffered a shoulder injury, Sims assumed his spot for the remainder of the first half. He hauled in three passes, gained 20 yards and scored Pittsburgh's only touchdown of the evening. 

Mark Robinson: Robinson was a special teams star against the Lions. He leveled a massive hit on a Lions kick returner in the second quarter and forced a holding call on another kickoff. The undrafted running back turned linebacker needs to nail down the finer details of the scheme but his effort and power has kept him in the mix for a full-time roster spot. 

Minkah Fitzpatrick: The Steelers' star safety looked rested, not rusty, after he endured a relatively light training camp workload. In his first extended action of the season, Fitzpatrick seemed to have every inch of the Acrisure Stadium grass covered. He covered, rushed the passer and laid some thunderous hits on Lions ball-carriers. 

LOSERS

Offensive Line: This horse died a long time ago but it's still worth beating. The Steelers' offensive line followed up a rough outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars with another poor day's work.  

Three penalties over a span of six plays - all of which were run inside of the Lions' 30-yard line - killed a promising drive highlighted by a 39-yard strike from Trubisky to Johnson. The Steelers left the field with three points but untimely infractions from the line cost them four points. 

To make matters worse, this brutal, penalty-laden showing was their second in a row and comes after a week during which they were laid into by the Steelers coaching staff. The players said their mistakes were correctable but the corrections have evidently not been made. 

Devin Bush: Bush was just one part of a Steelers second-team defense that was gashed by the Lions' run game but his poor reps were glaringly obvious. He was routinely targeted by Detroit blockers who washed him out on run plays. He made a key stop on 4th and 1 to give his team the ball back in the second quarter, but that highlight was overshadowed by some poor reps. 

Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland: Jaylen Warren had another impressive outing against the Lions. He was the first tailback off the bench, made some plays on special teams and put a Lions rusher on his back with a powerful chip block. McFarland and Snell, who had both seen significant time in earlier preseason games. Warren's rapid rise this summer comes at McFarland and Snell's expense. 

Kendrick Green: Green continued to slip further behind Kevin Dotson in the fight for a starting spot at right guard. There was an "or" in between he and Dotson on the depth chart but Dotson started and played for the entire first half. Even when Green did crack the lineup in the second half, he didn't make a strong case to move up. That position battle appears to be over. 

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