The Steelers lost to the Bills, 28-27, on Thursday night at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. Let's take a look at the Steelers who are rising and falling as the preseason rolls on:

— Will Howard led two short touchdown drives and made good, quick decisions on his two touchdown throws. He didn’t have many opportunities to throw down the field because the protection in front of him was bad. He did throw an interception, but rookie tight end Lake McRee appeared to make a wrong read, which led to Damar Hamlin’s pick. It was a good bounce-back performance after Howard threw two interceptions last week against the Jets.

— If rookie returner Kaden Wetjen was on the roster bubble before the game, his 44-yard punt return for a touchdown likely ended that discussion. He had two punt returns for negative yardage earlier in the game, but his speed and elusiveness finally was on display early in the fourth quarter. He broke one tackle, reversed field and then outran everyone to the end zone. Coach Mike McCarthy challenged Wetjen to score in the first preseason game against the Packers when he was tackled inside the 5-yard line. He had no problem turning on the jets to get into the end zone Thursday night.

— Rookie receiver Germie Bernard caught a swing pass from Howard, broke a tackle and scored midway through the first quarter. Bernard’s run-after-catch ability has been on display during the preseason. He also had a 25-yard catch in the first preseason game against the Packers when he broke several tackles. It appears Roman Wilson has won the job as the No. 3 receiver, but Bernard will push him once he learns the playbook and gains the trust of Aaron Rodgers.

— All running back Lew Nichols does is take advantage of his opportunities. He got most of the carries in the first half and showed some burst, finishing with 40 yards on seven carries. He also had a 13-yard catch out of the backfield. He deserves strong consideration if the Steelers keep three running backs.

— Rookie running back Eli Heidenreich also had an impressive outing. He scored on a 9-yard run and finished with 35 yards, all in the second half. It doesn’t seem like there is room for him on the 53-man roster, but he would be a nice addition to the practice squad.

— Rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings got the start and showed why he is a strong candidate to make the 53-man roster. He’s proven to be a sure tackler and his closing speed led to a pressure on Bills quarterback Shane Buechele on the first series. Spears-Jennings has been good on special teams too. That might give him an edge over some others on the roster bubble.

— Rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor played for the first time in the preseason, and he gave up a sack and was called for holding after he entered the game in the second quarter. He had been excellent in camp practices before suffering an upper body injury earlier this month. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t pick up where he left off. The safe move for the Steelers is to name veteran Dylan Cook the starter, but Iheanachor might not have to wait long to overtake him. Cook, by the way, got the start at left tackle, a curious move by the coaching staff for a player who is competing to be the starting right tackle.

— Rookie guard Gennings Dunker has to improve his pass protection skills. He’s a strong run blocker, but his lack of polish against rushers is problematic. He allowed a pressure in the first quarter and has been slow to improve in that area in practices as well.

— Second-year inside linebacker Carson Bruener probably has the team made because he’s so good on special teams, but he allowed an 18-yard catch to running back Frank Gore Jr., who made Bruener miss at the line of scrimmage and ran all the way to the 1-yard line. Not laying a hand on Gore in that situation handed the Bills a big play on a silver platter. At the very least he has to slow Gore down and allow the pursuit to tackle him.

All NFL teams must cut their rosters down to 53 players by 6 p.m. Sunday. The Steelers play host to the Falcons in the regular season opener on Sept. 13 at Acrisure Stadium.