A weekly feature with Steelers Contributing Writer/Editor Brian Batko's thoughts, analysis and commentary on the Steelers. Four downs' worth of insight, and always going for it: no punting allowed.
First down: School's out for fall. OK, so head coach Mike McCarthy has been candid that he can't quite operate his "quarterback school" program the way he used to under the NFL's old rules for practice time. But he's still carving out opportunities for individual work, and he's been pouring into Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar as often as he can.
If we offer this caveat once, we'll offer it a thousand times over the next few weeks: It's only preseason, a time of year that is often filled with overreactions. With that in mind, and a small sample size at that, let's just whisper that the initial impressions of McCarthy as a QB whisperer are encouraging.
"I think it really shows how QB-friendly this system can be," Howard said after the 28-9 win against the Packers. "And when we execute the way that we want to, we can be a really fun offense."
Quarterback-friendly. That's what McCarthy has been emphasizing since he was hired, and his quarterback expertise — within his overall offensive background — is a major reason why the Steelers made him their new coach back in January.
According to Rudolph, McCarthy had detailed personal meetings with each quarterback to go over which plays they like, which calls are the coach's favorite, and how to mesh it all together for the offense to flow well. And flow well it did in the passing game, with all three quarterbacks registering a rating of at least 101, on top of nine completions of 15 yards or more.
"He was very open to what we like and called what we like," Rudolph said of McCarthy.
Second down: Jones-ing to play again. Not only did Broderick Jones return to game action for the first time since a season-ending neck injury last November, but Jones led all Steelers with 49 offensive snaps. Jones came in at left tackle after 19 snaps from Troy Fautanu and held down that spot the rest of the way.
"It was just good to get the game feel and game reps under my belt again," Jones said. "Just being able to put hands on somebody new that's not on your team, I actually got to see how it looked."
It's not as if Jones hasn't been practicing throughout training camp, but doing it at Saint Vincent College and being back in the swing of things in a game is different. Jones was the 14th overall pick just three years ago, so the pedigree is there.
Thursday night was the first step for him getting his career back on track after a scary setback. Jones is always one of the more upbeat players in the Steelers locker room, and after his first game back, he credited team neurosurgeon Dr. David Okonkwo for the successful surgery and head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah for all that goes on behind the scenes medically.
"I always just kept my head up, kept my faith high," Jones said. "Dr. O has been a great help for me, him and Gabe, just keeping my spirits up, not letting me get down on myself. I appreciate them for that."
An ongoing objective for Jones is trying to add back the weight he lost while recovering from the procedure. He's up three or four pounds in the last week as he attempts to regain his strength.
Third down: That's why they're here. Tight end Robert Tonyan and linebacker Jamin Davis might be a bit out of place playing in the second half of a preseason game. Tonyan has a 11-touchdown season on his NFL ledger. Davis was the 19th overall pick in 2021 and has 290 career tackles in the pros.
But both have shifted into journeyman status and both are fighting for a spot on the Steelers' 53-man roster. But both looked like established veterans playing against youngsters in their Pittsburgh debuts, with Tonyan catching four passes for 51 yards and Davis filling up the box score defensively.
"I'm thankful that he's here because he can still play like he did in 2020 with Aaron and 2021," Howard said of Tonyan. "He's a great piece to have around here. Obviously, we already have Pat [Freiermuth] and Darnell [Washington], but to have a third guy like that in the room is huge. He kind of turned into my go-to guy [Thursday], which was great."
Davis, still only 27 entering his sixth year in the league, used his long, lean 6-foot-4, 234-pound frame to wreak havoc — and not just against unsuspecting backup Packers. In his 41 defensive snaps, Davis produced a game-high 8 tackles, 2 sacks for a loss of 21.5 yards, 1 tackle for loss and 3 quarterback hits.
Both Tonyan and Davis signed with the Steelers after trying out at veteran minicamp in early June. Regardless of where or if they fit into the mix for the regular season, general manager Omar Khan is always eager to add quality depth and competition up and down the roster. That's why these two are here, and they showed it when the lights came on.
Fourth down: Welcome back, Roberts. Jamin Davis is wearing No. 50 in the linebacker corps, but an old No. 50 was in the building Thursday himself.
When inside linebacker Elandon Roberts signed a one-year deal with the Steelers a few hours before the preseason opener, they brought back a two-year starter for the franchise from 2023-24. But they're also adding 747 career tackles, 61 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks, a couple of Super Bowl rings, a truckload of physicality and one of the best locker room presences a team can ask for. While the entire coaching staff has changed since he was here, he has no shortage of familiarity.
Roberts, who turned 32 in April, had been unsigned all offseason after spending 2025 with the Raiders and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. You won't find anyone calling him Elandon, but "E-Rob" made an impact on many in the organization in his two years here, and is beloved by teammates, staffers and media alike.
It's fair to analyze whether there's still room for Roberts in a crowded linebacker group, but I learned a while ago to never count out the 5-11, 235-pound sixth-round pick out of Houston who began his college tenure at Morgan State. The guy who played fullback at one point for the Patriots because they needed him, and he never minded doing some dirty work.
One of my all-time favorite interactions with a player in a postgame interview was after the 2023 regular-season finale, a 17-10 win at Baltimore, when I asked Roberts about a pectoral injury he played through with the Steelers' playoff hopes on the line. I told him the brace and wrap on the upper part of his left arm didn't look fun to wear, let alone play a game in.
"That's why I play," Roberts grinned, "and you report." Touche, E-Rob. Touche.
