The Pittsburgh Steelers looked solid during the preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills, but it sadly wasn't enough to secure a victory. Still, there were plenty of studs — and duds — deserving of praise, criticism, and everything in between following the Steelers' 28-27 loss to Buffalo.
Here's a look at every winner and loser from the Steelers' preseason finale against the Bills, including a running back who may be climbing the depth chart and one quarterback who may have put himself on the roster bubble.
Winners
Lew Nichols
Nichols, who has looked outstanding throughout training camp and the earlier preseason matchups, finished things off with a bang against the Bills. Nichols rushed for 40 yards on just seven attempts (5.7 YPA), while also recording 13 receiving
yards on one catch. It remains to be seen if Nichols did enough to secure a roster spot, but it wouldn't be surprising if he earned the RB3 role following his impressive performance against Buffalo.
Germie Bernard
Bernard's impressive yards-after-catch ability was on full display in the preseason finale, as the rookie wide receiver turned a short pass into a broken tackle for a 13-yard touchdown. Bernard has been playing like a top-five rookie throughout the preseason and should continue to be a staple of Pittsburgh's offense throughout the 2026 season.
Kaden Wetjen
Wetjen has been hot and cold over the past month, but the rookie return specialist showed fans why the Steelers took him in the fourth round with his impressive 45-yard punt return touchdown. If Wetjen can keep the momentum rolling, the Steelers' special teams unit will be one to fear.
Losers
Will Howard
Howard was able to save another otherwise forgettable performance with two short touchdown passes in the first half, but was it really enough to earn the QB2 spot over Mason Rudolph? It's been reported that Howard is all but guaranteed a place on the 53-man squad, but he's definitely played like the worst QB on the roster. The preseason finale against Buffalo was no different.
Max Iheanachor
Besides a strong block on Eli Heidenreich's rushing touchdown, Iheanachor's performance was lackluster, to say the least. Yes, the holding call on Iheanachor was a terrible call. But he also got beat badly in pass protection and surrendered a sack. Iheanachor will bounce back, but his pros didn't outweigh the cons in the preseason finale.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any preseason news and injury updates, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Biggest winners and losers from Steelers' preseason loss to Bills
