Knee-Jerk Reactions to the Steelers 32-25 win over the Seahawks in Week 1 of the preseason

Knee-jerk reactions are immediate responses to a situation without taking the time to analyze the situation. That’s something as sports fans that we typically do. Especially if you are a full blood Yinzer, or even just a part Yinzer. As is the custom, I compile my knee-jerk thoughts and publish them immediately after each Steelers game (my son Kyle might have a few things to say as well). It’s my version of running my mouth first and apologizing later. So with that being said, I’m going to employ that philosophy here during Week 1 of the NFL Preseason. Yes this is only a preseason game, but it's still football. Please bear with me as there will be plenty of plays that I have no idea who the guys are making said play.

1st Quarter

• FOOTBALL IS UPON US!!!!! Another season of Steeler football ready to go. So what do I do? I tag out the very first thing so I can attend the game in person. But who do I tag in? Dave? No! BAD? No! Hey preseason is the time for coaches to see what they have in the up and coming, who’s ready to take the next step, so tonight I will tag in........Scho 2.0 (#paykyle).
• Steelers win the coin toss and take the football. Seachickens to kick.
• I expect nothing less than the Steelers to be penalized on the first play of the season. C'mon man!
• Nice run by Ant Mac on 3rd down plus unnecessary roughness and the Steelers are sitting nicely.
• Trubisky overthrew Pickens and looked like Ben.
• Nice to Gunner and they are in the red zone. This is the saddest red zone appearance in this stadium as there is no ketchup oozing onto the Jumbotron.
• Mitch finds Gunner again for the TD. Seattle's defense looked lost.
• Steelers 7 Seahawks 0
• Gunner looks too much like Trevor Lawrence.
• Defense takes the field I'm looking for good linebacker play here.
• Witherspoon does a nice job at getting around his man and making a tackle in the backfield on the jet sweep
• Great pressure by the line! Mondeaux with the sack! Defense not spending too much time on the field on Seattle's first series.
• Connor Heyward making a nice reach for his first NFL catch.
• With two guys in front of him before crossing the line of scrimmage, Ant Mac made something out of nothing for 7 yards.
• Another nice run by McFarland
• Mitch sheds the tackle scrambles and gets a couple yards out of what should have been a sack.
• Drive stalls, Steelers to punt.
• Punt gets bobbled and the Steelers almost come up with the loose ball. Just a weird looking play.
• Two good runs by the Seahawks and they run it on third and Walker gets tackled in the backfield on 3rd down.
• Sims makes one heck of a return there. Gets contact right after he catches the ball and is able to get down near the 25.
• Rudolph gets subbed in and is sacked on the first play. Can only get better from here.
• Rudolph throws to the back corner of the end zone and Pickens makes a beautiful bread basket catch.
• Steelers up 14 to nothing.
• Run defense is slim to none right now. Got to fix that.
• First quarter ends 14 to nothing, Steelers.

2nd Quarter

• Maulet blows up a screen play nicely
• Seatles drive stalls and they settle for a field goal. 14-3
• Rudolph rolls out of the pocket to find Gunner for his third reception of the night
• False start on Connor Heyward. Welcome to the team?
• Pickens with a beautiful toe tap to get the first down. He is looking very promising tonight.
• Rudolph sits in the pocket looking mildly uncomfortable and almost throws an interception. He can't be doing that.
• Warren has been getting some good long runs this drive.
• Steelers cannot punch it in within the 10 and have to settle for a field goal. Steelers 17 Seahawks 3
• Seattle doesn't do much with the ball and the Steelers set up to return a punt.
• The ball gets batted down but the refs let it play out. Apparently it wasn't that obvious to them like it was to us in TV land.
• Rudolph finds the open man but they fall a yard short of not going three and out
• Seattle gets the ball with 1:48 seconds left in the first half. What can the defense do here?
• Seattle is pushing the ball down field too easily in the 2 minute drill. Let's see if they can hold them at the goal line.
• Smith runs to the short side of the field for a TD. Pittsburgh 17 Seattle 10. End of the half

3rd Quarter

• Kenny Pickett will be the starter in the second half. A lot of people are anxious to see this.
• Missed tackles on missed tackles. One play and Seattle is in Steelers territory.
• Good pass breakup by Pierre. Best play by the defense this drive.
• Seattle squeezes in the touchdown. Tied at 17
• Lots of cheers as Kenny Pickett takes the field. Starts his career with a pass for a first down.
• Sims has the speed and the elusiveness to be a nice player on this team.
• Touchdown! Kenny Pickett to Warren. Lots of excitement in Hei... Acrisure Stadium.
• Pete Carroll is getting a little too worked up over a preseason touchdown call. Why?
• Steelers set up for two-point conversion and get the quick hit to Connor Heyward. I like the guts... or the good planning to try and prevent OT. Steelers 25 Seahawks 17
• Seattle gets the ball across midfield and the drive stalls out. Steelers to receive the punt.
• The crowd comes back to life as the offense steps onto the field
• Steelers get pinned deep and on 3rd and 6 and Picket gets sacked right next to the goal line. Way to follow up the TD
• 3rd quarter ends 25 to 17 Steelers

4th Quarter

• Seattle starts the 4th doing the same thing they did at the end of the Third, making our defense look like Swiss cheese.
• Seattle goes for two as the announcers let us know there is no overtime in the preseason.
• 25 all. I think Buddy Johnson was to have coverage but released the guy to nobody.
• Steelers offense does next to nothing with the ball and punt. I'd like to see more out of the offense tonight.
• The Steelers have completed every pass so far in the second half and yet they have had to punt twice.
• Steelers stop the Seahawks on second and one, but it would take a really bad play call for Seattle to not get the first. Pete Carroll has done that before though.
• After the first down sack by Hamlicar Rashed followed by a quick tackle in the flat, Steelers defense has a chance to get off the field on a third and long.
• Seattle pins the Steelers deep again with a nice punt. That touchdown won't mean as much to me if the Steelers do absolutely nothing on the 3 drives after.
• Batch's QB analysis is sponsored by Hienz. Really? We go from sponsoring the stadium to the QB analysis?
• Pickett showing off the arm and looking for the pass interference. If it was a more accurate pass he might get that.
• Pickett under pressure runs for the first down. Been a while since I've seen a quarterback in a Steelers jersey move like that.
• Steelers are running the ball well and they're bleeding the clock out.
• 3rd and one coming up. I'd like to see a fake handoff QB roll out.
• Tomlin is not happy about the placement of the ball after the third down run nor should he be. The referees do not change the placement of the ball. It's just the preseason, it's just the preseason.
• 4th and one Kenny loses 8 yards on a sack trying to roll out and scramble for the first. Would have been the spot for a QB sneak.
• Doesn't matter! Strip sack by Robinson. That's a way to get off the field defense.
• Kenny will be given a second chance, what will he do with it?
• Steelers called time out before the 3rd and one. Doesn't matter what play they choose, it's good if they get the first and terrible if they don't.
• Kenny is diving when he scrambles out. I'd like to see him test the waters with that fake slide but not make it quite so obvious.
• Kenny fights through the roughing the passer and makes a nice pass for the catch and run for a touchdown to Tyler Vaughn's. With that I am satisfied with the quarterback performance tonight.
• Steelers up 32 to 25.
• With 3 seconds left the lateral play results in a massive hit stick by Khalil Davis to end the game.
• Final. Steelers 32, Seahawks 25

There you have it, my knee jerks. Sure it was preseason and sure you didn’t see a lot of starters, but it was Steelers football so I will sit on this for a day or two and then to talk about it on The Scho Bro Show. CAN’T WAIT!!!