Some might say there isn't much to celebrate in finishing a preseason 1-3, especially since the final loss of the four-game schedule was a 10-0 shutout by the Carolina Panthers. If you look closely, there's plenty to celebrate as the Pittsburgh Steelers put the preseason behind them and now head full-steam into the regular season.
Most importantly, the Steelers are a relatively healthy team heading into the regular season. They avoided the devastating injury that leaves a gaping hole in their lineup. Granted, the game of football often lends itself to being a disaster waiting to happen. The Steelers saw that last season first hand when the team lost its Pro Bowl center for the year on the opening drive against the Tennessee Titans.
"It is a blessing when [the injuries] are minimal," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in his post-game press conference, and the injuries have been just that - minimal. Outside of a few rookies that missed time, the Steelers have handled their players well and have the biggest pieces of their team puzzle primed and ready to go heading into the September 7th game against the Cleveland Browns.
Outside of the players' health, the team experienced some challenges throughout training camp and the preseason. Sure, the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was bad, but that loss will only make the team better prepared for that type of attack in the regular season. As great as it would have been to see the Steelers steam-roll the competition this preseason and never have any trouble, the bad taste players received after the Eagles loss is something that will motivate the team and improve their approach to regular-season contests.
Other than the adversity the team faced throughout training camp, the end of the preseason is cause for celebration. These games were extremely long and arduous to watch, and riddled with flags. But the time has finally come for games to be played that actually count toward the overall records.