Steelers' Mike Tomlin Ecstatic About Specific Group Of Second-Team Players After Outings Against Bills

The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the Buffalo Bills this past week at Acrisure Stadium for a series of joint practices that culminated in their second preseason game of the season on Saturday night. The game was highly anticipated as word spread that it would be the first time to watch new quarterback Russell Wilson in action for the black and gold. 

Unfortunately, the Steelers were not able to walk away with the win, losing to the Bills 9-3. That did not stop Head Coach Mike Tomlin from giving praise where praise was due, and one of the areas he specifically called out in his postgame press conference, was the second-team players on defense. 

"I liked some of the things that we saw, particularly given some of the people that we didn't play up front on defense. Some of those guys that you could characterize as second-teamers, if you will, have had a really good preseason thus far. Guys like [Nick] Herbig, Mon [Montravius] Adams, and [DeMarvin] Leal have done an awesome job, and I just think you just kinda felt that. But we were interested in that, which is why we didn't play Cam [Heyward] and T.J. [Watt] and Alex [Highsmith] and some of those guys. Those guys are deserving of some varsity on varsity reps to show what their capabilities are and I just thought that was a positive tonight, their play."

Nick Herbig, the second-year EDGE rusher, had three total tackles and one and a half sacks. A product of Wisconsin, just like his mentor TJ Watt, Herbig has appeared to be noticeably faster this preseason. During a game interview, Watt said that Herbig soaks up everything like a sponge, and it showed. He appeared to be all over the field, wreaking havoc.  

The stats don't totally do guys like DeMarvin Leal and Montravius Adams justice. Tomlin also named them, and each had a tackle. Adams is proving to be a solid depth piece. He consistently put pressure on the Bills' offense and, at one point, along with Leal, forced backup quarterback Ben DiNucci to quit on a play. The two were very noticeable and active in space throughout the game.

Tomlin did not specifically mention him, but Keeanu Benton, a second-year nose tackle, stood out as well. He combined with Herbig to sack former Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky. He was another Badger out there, giving a solid performance. 

Benton is often named as an heir apparent to 35-year-old defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who struggled with injuries in 2023. While Heyward will be playing this year, assuming he remains healthy, it is likely time for him to start handing the reins over to the next generation, and Benton is ready and waiting for his big opportunity. 

The Steelers have the most expensive defense in the NFL, and it is encouraging to see that some of these depth pieces are showing the growth needed to take over in the future or in case of injury. 

Steelers Have Another Significant Weapon

During the first preseason game against the Houston Texans, inside linebacker Payton Wilson, who was selected in the third round in 2024, turned heads. After his solid performance, Tomlin even mentioned him specifically in his press conference, giving him credit for some of the tackles. He was again off to a hot start against the Bills until he went out with a concussion.

Wilson was widely considered the best linebacker in the draft, but his history of injuries and the fact that he has an interesting ACL situation apparently scared some fans. His strong start to his rookie season certainly has most folks forgetting about his knees. Hopefully, he will not be seriously concussed and will be healthy for the beginning of the regular season. 

What did you think of the Steelers' second-string defense against the Bills? Click to comment below. 

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