While WR George Pickens may have opened the game with a 33-yard catch from QB Kenny Pickett last Friday against the Buccaneers, it was WR Calvin Austin III who stole the show. Austin led the team with two receptions for 73 yards, including a 67-yard scoring bomb from QB Mason Rudolph. He also led Pittsburgh in rushing yards with 23 yards on two carries.
It was a big coming out party for Austin who missed the entire 2022 season with a foot injury, effectively never seeing a snap, preseason or regular season, during his rookie campaign. Austin’s performance has caught the eye of several analysts over the last several days, including Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus who spoke glowingly about Austin on PFF’s Week 1 NFL Preseason review show with co-host Sam Monson.