The Pittsburgh Steelers capped off their 2024 preseason slate on Saturday by losing to the Detroit Lions, 24-17, which means they will finish the exhibition schedule with a winless record.
But that was the least of the Steelers' worries going into this contest. After two lackluster preseason showings by the offense over the first two games, Pittsburgh desperately needed to see the starting unit play better in preseason Week 3.
Thankfully, that happened, which will instill at least a bit of confidence going into the regular season. Now, the Steelers will start to look ahead to Week 1, but first they must cut their roster down to 53 by Tuesday, Aug. 27.
Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from preseason Week 3.
Steelers winners and losers
Winner: QB Russell Wilson
Wilson desperately needed a strong showing in the preseason finale to keep the media mob off him for a few weeks. While it was a short showing, Wilson completed both of his passes for 26 yards, including a nice throw to George Pickens to set the Steelers up for an eventual touchdown.
Seeing as how he started and was pulled immediately, there is no doubt he will be the team's starter to begin the regular season. There was never really much doubt outside of the national media, anyway.
Loser: CB Beanie Bishop
Bishop once looked like he was going to be the starting slot cornerback, but a poor showing in preseason Week 1 followed by an injury halted his momentum. Not only did Bishop fail to stand out, he didn't start — Thomas Graham did — and played late into the game, which is never a good sign.
After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Bishop didn't play with the starters because of all the time he missed.
Winner: CB Thomas Graham
Graham got the nod as the starter in the slot over Bishop, and he had some good moments. While he appears to be the top slot option going into Week 1, it would not be at all surprising if Pittsburgh brings someone else in or has a quick hook with the former sixth-round pick.
Loser: OT Devery Hamilton
Hamilton didn't help his cause in a bid for a roster or practice squad spot. His worst moment came when he was pushed into quarterback Kyle Allen, leading to a sack and a lost fumble.
Winner: RB Cordarrelle Patterson
Patterson showed he still has some juice after he broke loose for a 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The veteran will likely slot in as the No. 3 running back and will have a role in the return game.
Winner: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
It remains to be seen if he did enough to earn a roster spot, but Fitzpatrick had the longest play of the day on a 59-yard catch. He finished as the team's leading receiver with two catches for 64 yards.
This was the second preseason game in which Fitzpatrick led the team in receiving, and he also has two 30-plus yard receptions.
Winner: RT Broderick Jones
Jones was the biggest culprit of the Steelers' pass protection issues last week after he gave up three pressures, two of which went for sacks. But Jones bounced back big time in preseason Week 3 and had a spotless showing in pass protection.
Winner: EDGE Nick Herbig
Herbig has done nothing but make plays the past two weeks. After talling 1.5 sacks in preseason Week 2, Herbig added another two on Saturday. He already had a spot locked-in on the 53-man roster, but his showing was encouraging nonetheless.
Winner: EDGE Julius Welschof
Like Herbig, Welschof had a pair of sacks, tied for the most on the team. The UDFA finishes the preseason with three sacks in total and has done just about all he can to earn himself a roster spot.
