DK'S GRIND FEED

Let's keep this real, all right?

The Steelers' starting offense in this 17-14 preseason loss to the Buccaneers tonight at Acrisure Stadium was out there for three series. As such, that represented the lone action for Mason Rudolph. And four starting offensive linemen. And Darnell Washington. Which, basically, for a mid-August affair, amounted to the A-team.

Also this: Kaleb Johnson's first touch on the football came in the second quarter, once all those guys were out. And once Tampa Bay's A-team was out.

Also this: Kenny Gainwell got the start at running back. And Jaylen Warren again was held out entirely, befitting his obvious-all-summer status atop that particular depth chart.

So there's no point, at least from this press box perspective, of overstating anything about Kaleb Johnson's role on this team, nor even his singularly impressive statistical output in this setting -- 11 carries, 50 yards -- until further notice. Possibly much further notice. It couldn't be clearer to me that Mike Tomlin and the rest of management see him as third-string to open the season, and likely well beyond. 

Now, all that said, buckle up:

Uh-huh. Like that.

I don't care all that much that Johnson's aforementioned first touch resulted in an authoritative loss, reminiscent of how most everything went for him a week ago in Jacksonville, Fla., when he needed eight carries to total 20 yards. 

I also don't care all that much that half of everyone wearing pewter up there's already being scouted to manage the express lanes at GetGo this fall.

I care a lot that the same kid who could barely squeeze out a small smile when he and I'd spoken a couple weeks ago in Latrobe, then could barely spare a syllable in a similar conversation in Jackonville, suddenly lit up after this one:

I hardly recognized him.

And that's awesome.

Because this, from both the personality and performance standpoints, sure seemed a better match for all that very real excitement on South Water Street the night was drafted out of Iowa. And he'd be far from the first rookie to need that personality part to emerge first.

"I felt this went really well for me," Johnson would proceed. "The first game, I was kind of timid, reading the flow of my linemen, so I tried to connect with them, we were talking all week about how I should be executing and doing better, progressing and developing over time. And I feel like I did that today."

At which point he pushed pause.

"But I also feel like there was some stuff I left on the field, too. I need to get more work in, get to 110 percent with all of my stuff."

And why'd it click here?

"I don't know. That first run was kinda ... eh. But after that, I just felt it."

So did Arthur Smith, apparently. Along came a series in the third quarter in which Johnson ran on six of the 11 plays, including gains of 9, 7, 8 and 9 yards.

"Oh, that was big-time," he'd say to that. "I'm a very high-volume-carry runner, and I feel like that applied to me at Iowa, also. I'm just trying to get back to the basics of being in my best shape and really just finishing that off."

I'll give Tomlin some credit here. After Jacksonville, he pinpointed -- publicly, no less -- that Johnson largely just needed to get back to playing the same game he'd played his whole life. And he not only encouraged Johnson to loosen up in Latrobe, but also, when the scenario began to present itself here, kept giving him more chances, more carries regardless of the grocery-bagger quotient for both sides as the game wore on.

That's smart. That's coaching to the individual.

"I just thought was saw more of his talents this time around," Tomlin would say of Johnson. "And that's a reasonable expectation. He's been in the stadium. The mystique of it is over. As people get settled in and an more comfortable with their roles in this NFL environment, I think you'll see more of their talents. Just felt like we saw more of his talent tonight."

And Johnson showed Tomlin what he'd hoped to see?

"Yes."

That wasn't isolated.

"The biggest thing we could feel from him was his confidence just kept growing," Troy Fautanu would tell me. "Everything that comes naturally to him just kept coming."

"I think you saw some streaks and flashes last week, and there are probably a lot of nerves in anyone's first game," Rudolph would say. "But man, he ran it well tonight."

I've advised patience regarding both Johnson and Derrick Harmon, the Steelers' top two picks. And sure enough, both, including Harmon, showed why here. 

They'll be worth it.