Pittsburgh's 26-24 victory over Indianapolis in Sunday night's preseason matchup was about as thrilling as a preseason game can get, down to the last-second field goal, but everybody knows the true winners and losers in preseason games aren't decided by who has the most points on the scoreboard when the clock hits zeroes. Behind the Steel Curtain took a look at which fringe players impressed in their hopes of surviving roster cuts and which did nothing to help their cause as the Steelers prepare to trim their roster from 90 to 53 by the time the regular season comes around.
Coming out on the good side were a variety of Steelers' offensive players, including a pass-catcher whose chances of catching on are very dependent on his preseason play:
WR David Gilreath - 4 catches for 78 yards, two of them being third down catches in the fourth quarter, Gilreath made his presence known after being seen as an also-ran in the battle for the team's 5WR spot behind Toney Clemons and Tyler Beiler. The rookie out of Wisconsin found soft spots in zone defense and looked great after the catch, showing speed and athleticism far more frequently than any other fringe-roster receiver has to this point.
OT Mike Adams and OL Kelvin Beachum: The Steelers' 2s and 3s generally did not play well, but the performances of Adams and Beachum were particularly troubling. Nevermind potential, (Jerrod) Johnson as well as QB Charlie Batch were afforded little opportunity to get the ball down the field and dealt with far more pressure than did their Colts contemporaries. Beachum, who lined up both at guard and tackle, was flagged for holding twice, and Adams allowed 2.5 sacks from his left tackle position and was nearly driven back into Johnson due to a bullrush from a Colts defender.