The Pittsburgh Steelers won their first 11 games in 2020. They’ve won their first three games of the 2021 season.

Unfortunately, these ones don’t count. But being 3-0 is better than being 0-3 — and having the first (and only) game in which the starters start result in a 20-0 halftime lead? More encouraging yet.

Saturday’s 26-20 win against the Detroit Lions was the only time before the Sept. 12 opener at the Buffalo Bills that the Steelers starters were on the field to be evaluated. With that in mind, here’s whose arrows are pointing in the right — and wrong — directions:

Stock Up

Starting offensive line

It was only 16 snaps that Zach Banner, Trai Turner, Kendrick Green, Kevin Dotson and Chuks Okorafor played together. But the chance to jell in a game situation was a positive for the most overhauled and unproven position group on the team. And the group’s performance Saturday was solid.

Still being eased into action (torn ACL), right tackle Banner played the first three series. Right guard Turner lasted four drives. Center Green, left guard Dotson and left tackle Okorafor played through the end of the third quarter. The group presided over an offense that scored on all but one drive.

The outing was far from perfect: Okorafor was flagged on the game’s first snap, Green was shoved back into a collapsed pocket at least once and running backs averaged a mediocre 3.0 yards per carry when at least three first-team linemen were in the game.

But the night, overall, can be termed as positive for an offensive line for which so many questions have lingered.

James Washington

Two weeks ago, the usually agreeable Washington apparently became so frustrated with his role he requested a trade. It seems, though, the Steelers are doing what they can to patch things up with their luxury of a talented playmaking No. 4 wide receiver.

Washington was targeted on the first snap of the game, and he was thrown to again on the first passing play of the second drive. His 13-yard catch in the second quarter set up the Steelers inside the 5-yard line, and a snap later Mason Rudolph threw to him in the end zone.

All this comes with the caveat that Chase Claypool did not play because of an ankle injury. But Washington is saying all the right things and seems at peace with his situation, and the Steelers are showing Washington they value him.

Zach Gentry

Position mate Pat Freiermuth got the headlines with two touchdowns, but Gentry’s status as a lock to make the roster seems cemented after he got snaps playing with the first-team offense during the first possession of the game.

It was just the latest sign Gentry has shown improvement and might have carved out a niche in the offense as the No. 3 tight end behind Freiermuth and Eric Ebron.

As an aside: Gentry played wire-to-wire, a rarity for the preseason. He also was on the field during the final drive of the game.

Stock Down

Shakur Brown

One of the highest-rated undrafted free agents in the league, Brown was a sleeper to help the Steelers secondary quickly. But he hasn’t stood out among the other young defensive backs in camp, and Saturday Brown had a series to forget.

Brown could be charged with responsibility for three of the Lions’ six first downs during a fourth-quarter touchdown drive — two via holding penalties and one on a 23-yard catch by Tom Kennedy in which Brown was the closest man in coverage.

Perhaps the missed assignment wasn’t his. But Brown was by far the worst-graded Steelers player against the Lions by Pro Football Focus. And after entering camp with great hype for an undrafted player, Brown hasn’t gained much traction in a quest for a roster spot.

Arthur Maulet/Antoine Brooks

A more flattering characterization would be “stock up” for James Pierre. But Pierre’s apparent gain as the No. 3 cornerback Saturday is at the expense of Maulet and Brooks, who spent the first two weeks of camp vying to take over the starting nickel gig. Neither, though, seized the job (in part because of an injury to Brooks), and the Steelers appear to be leaning toward bringing in Pierre when they need a fifth defensive back, putting him on the outside and bumping Cameron Sutton to the slot.

The race isn’t over yet, but neither Maulet nor Brooks is the favorite anymore.

Pete Guerriero

For a player on the roster’s very fringe, failing to get on the field for a preseason game is disheartening. League rules mandate the Steelers cut five players by Tuesday. Coincidentally enough, five thought-to-be-healthy players did not play Saturday: quarterback Josh Dobbs, running back Tony Brooks-James, offensive lineman Aviante Collins, linebacker Calvin Bundage and Guerriero, a first-year running back from Monmouth signed earlier this month. Of that group, Guerriero is probably the most vulnerable in regards to Tuesday’s cuts.

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