Winners and losers from Steelers preseason loss to the Texans

On Friday night the Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the preseason against the Houston Texans. Head coach Mike Tomlin had talked about wanted to see clean, mistake free football but that was not what he got.

Sloppy play on both sides of the football made things easy for the Texans early on and this game is going to give the Steelers coaches plenty to think about when practice resumes.

Preseason games are an opportunity for players to stand out if they are hoping to win a spot in the starting lineup or even a spot on the 53-man roster. Here are our winners and losers from the loss.

Winners

CB Cory Trice - Trice only had one tackle so you might wonder why he’s on the list. After missing all of his rookie season in 2023 with a torn ACL after such a strong offseason, he’s a winner because he’s back on the field making plays.

DL DeMarvin Leal - After a rough 2023, Leal has trimmed down and looks more like the guy the Steelers drafted. Leal had a sack and seems to be ready to be a rotational guy off the edge.

RB Jonathan Ward - The Steelers running back depth chart is pretty crowded but Ward made a strong case on Friday to be the team’s No. 3 back after 26 yards on six carries that included a 20-yard run.

QB Kyle Allen - We aren’t sure why the Steelers decided to give Justin Fields two drives and then go with Allen for the entirety of the game otherwise. Nevertheless, Allen made the most of it with 193 passing yards and a touchdown. Allen also rushed for 11 yards on a scramble.

Losers

C Nate Herbig - Herbig is in a positional battle with rookie Zach Frazeri and so having two bad snaps in three drives is not the way to hold off the talented rookie.

K Matthew Wright - Wright won’t be the Steelers starting kicker but every rep is an audition for another job so missing an extra point isn’t deal.

WR Quez Watkins - Another guy in a position battle is wide receiver Quez Watkins. He finished with no catches, one fumble on a punt return that set the Texans up deep in Steelers territory.

DT Keeanu Benton - 2024 is supposed to be a breakout season for Keeanu Benton and we think it will be but Benton was lost early in the game with an eye injury.