Notebook: Steelers Finish Preseason Winless, But Show Three Positive Signs in Loss

The Pittsburgh Steelers closed their preseason winless, failing to leave Ford Field with a win, falling 24-17 to the Detroit Lions.

That was despite the Steelers finally finding some semblance of an offense. They started out of the gate hot, with Russell Wilson leading the starting offense down the field in five plays before Cordarrelle Patterson's 31-yard touchdown run. Then, following a takeaway, the Steelers went up 14-0 in the first quarter.

However, aside from the early 14-point surge, the Steelers' offense stalled while the starter-less Lions surged in the final three-quarters of play.

And while the preseason didn't provide the Steelers with much joy in terms of a win, we have three rather positive takeaways as Pittsburgh begins preparations for their Week 1 opener versus the Atlanta Falcons.

The Quarterback Battle That Never Was?

Much of the offseason coverage regarding the Steelers was dedicated to the supposed quarterback competition between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields . The Steelers preseason finale versus the Lions may have been another example that many already knew: Wilson was in "pole position" heading into training camp and never lost it.

The 35-year-old veteran quarterback played just five snaps in the preseason finale before he was subbed out in favor of the second-string Fields.

Sure, the former first-round pick had moments in the first two preseason games that made it look like he might give Wilson a run for his money. But in the end, Wilson was treated like the starter, even with the Steelers' first-team offense failing to score even a field goal in their first two preseason games.

Judging by how the Steelers put Wilson on a short lease in the loss, it seems to suggest that he will be their starter in Atlanta.

Three-Headed Edge Rushing Monster?

The Steelers possess one of the league's best pass-rushing duos with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. But could they have three fearsome edge rushers this season to go along with the defensive line featuring Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton?

If the preseason is anything to go by then, that could be the case, as Nick Herbig shined on Saturday. The former fourth-round pick made an impact early, forcing a fumble as he sacked Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker, which ended up turning into seven points for the Steelers.

The former Wisconsin product finished the game at Ford Field with three tackles, two for a loss, two sacks, and one quarterback hit as he capped out a rather impressive preseason. While he won't overtake Watt or Highsmith as a starting edge rusher, he could present the Steelers with a specialist pass-rusher on passing downs.

No Warren, No Problem?

While the Steelers have emerged from the preseason rather healthy, they were dealt one blow, as star running back Jaylen Warren suffered a hamstring injury in the 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills. While Warren's status is still in the air for Week 1, and they will undoubtedly want him, there may be good news if he doesn't play.

The good news is that they seemingly have the depth to, at the very least, make up for his absence. Obviously, with Najee Harris, the Steelers aren't lacking a starter-caliber back. But they also have veteran running back and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson behind him, along with La'Mical Perine and rookie undrafted free agent Daijun Edwards.

Related: Steelers Close Out Preseason with Loss to Lions; Tomlin Ready to Name Starting QB?

Patterson made his impact Saturday, finding the endzone with an explosive 31-yard touchdown run to give the Steelers an early lead. Meanwhile, Perine also found the endzone with a one-yard score.

With Patterson and Perine, the Steelers have two rather experienced backs to potentially backup Harris in the short-term, which doesn't mention Edwards. While the former Georgia product didn't do much versus the Lions, he did find the endzone in their preseason-opening loss to the Houston Texans.