Kovacevic: Kwon the Conqueror, McFarland's edge, Jones' 'big exposure'

TAMPA, Fla. -- Where's the fire come from?

I don't know Kwon Alexander all that well. He's new to the Steelers, though hardly new to the NFL. So after I watched him Tasmanian Devil his way all over the Raymond James Stadium grass on this Friday night, burying the Buccaneers twice with belligerent tackles amid the visitors' 27-17 victory ... yeah, I asked the above question without a trace of context.

And the man ate it up:

“It’s just instilled in me," he'd reply. "It’s just in me. I was born with it. That’s it.”

It's sure looked that way, both back in Latrobe and out here on those two occasions:

That's Ke'Shawn Vaughn, stargazing, for a minus-1. Optimal read as the late arrival. Beyond-optimal finish.

The other:

That's Chase Edmonds, equally horizontal, after a catch in the flat.

This one was flagged for a personal foul, though I'd argue it instead looked a lot more like a ... football tackle?

Whatever. I care about this as much as Alexander apparently did in responding, "I have no idea," when I asked if he could explain the call.

What does matter is that this almost totally transfused inside locker room, along with Alexander's fellow newcomers Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb, have so little resemblance to the previous group that, at the moment, I'm having a tough time remembering their names. All through training camp, they've performed with a collective snarl that's occasionally bordered on needing to be called out when they've gone too far.

I'm OK with this.

Infinitely more important, so's Mike Tomlin. When I asked about Alexander, Tomlin replied, “You know, he’s a veteran guy. He knows what he’s doing. He brings energy. He’s highly competitive. I’m sure it’s easy to be competitive in these circumstances, when you step into the bowls. But he’s highly competitive and an energy-bringer in practice situations day-to-day, and I appreciate that.”

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Broderick Jones blocks the Buccaneers' Deadrin Senat in the second quarter Friday night in Tampa, Fla.

• Loved Anthony McFarland's 14-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, if only because, for once, he stepped on the gas and never took his foot off the pedal.

Seriously, ever since his arrival from Maryland, it's seemed like he left the wheels behind in college. He'd juke, he'd stutter-step, he'd do everything but utilize his greatest natural gift. But all through this camp, as he's been the roster's single most improved player, he's done this at every turn:

I asked why he's finally found that gear again now, and he didn't appear to want much to do with the question, answering, "I don’t know, man. I’m just trying to be decisive, making one cut and just go.”

Of his overall showing this summer, he'd say, "I feel like my camp’s been a grind, man. They way I think about it, I don’t get too high or too low. I just keep my head down and grind. Overall, it’s been good. Being around my teammates. Just grinding.”

• Thumb back up to that touchdown and check the blocking scheme. That's Darnell Washington and Zach Gentry lined up as tight ends on the right side to seal it off ... but it's not-so-big Gunner Olszewski doing the greatest damage to the right of them by wholly neutralizing the safety, Kedrick Whitehead. I asked Olszewski about it, and he just silently pointed across the room to McFarland to deflect credit.

• Broderick Jones' first professional game experience saw Dan Moore Jr. start ahead of him and, after that, Jones hardly leaving the field. He'd log most of the final three quarters, as I'd expected, since he could use all the snaps available, for himself and for the coaching staff's evaluations.

Tomlin's invariably reluctant to analyze offensive line play right after a game, but he did say of Jones that the Steelers “gave him big exposure," adding, "I like his demeanor, I like how he finished. We’ll comb through specifically and look at hand usage and how he mixed up his protections and some of things that are very technical that are major components of this level of play."

I couldn't isolate on Jones much while covering live, but I caught this plus:

And this mega-minus:

There are two of these events left. If Jones is to start against the 49ers, one would think he'll have to accelerate.

• Nick Herbig had 1.5 sacks, and yet he was so much better than that. He's the rotational No. 3 behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and I say that with respect to the veteran Markus Golden being in the fold. Herbig's put his own spin -- pun intended -- on the position from the day he reported. This is a football player.

• George Pickens' run after the catch on his 33-yard touchdown was 100% Martavis Bryant. As if they were twins. Tell me I'm lying.

• No, Mason Rudolph isn't about to unseat Mitch Trubisky as the backup quarterback. Stop that at once.

Yeah, Rudolph flung this 67-yard beauty to Calvin Austin III in the third quarter, but he's had those as a strong suit since he and James Washington were the connection at Oklahoma State. It's almost everything else that gives Rudolph trouble, and that was true here, as well, even amid decent numbers in going 7 for 12 for 132 yards, the touchdown and two sacks.

Trubisky went 1 for 4 for 10 yards with an interception, though I'd posit that Cody White had no business allowing that deep shot down the right sideline to clang off his shoulder pads. That could've been a catch. Nothing amiss with the throw.

• Speaking of CA3 ...

That's beautiful. Austin went through a tough, tough year, missing all of his rookie season to a foot injury. Tremendous kid.

• Kendrick Green went right back to being a bungling backup center in a raging hurry. Make no mistake: This matters infinitely more than any fullback gimmickry. No one's about to hand him the ball at the goal line in actual games.

• A final reality check on all of this, good or bad: Kenny Pickett reminded everyone afterward that this was "vanilla football," and that's the right terminology. Not because the teams aren't trying. Not even because both held a bunch of starters out. But rather, because there's no real opponent-based scheming that's engineered. That's a massive factor, in that it's fine to execute now, but it'll be 180 degrees different when the 49ers' buses poke through our tunnel.

• I've got two columns from here, and the other's about the offense's opening drive.

• Thanks, as ever, for reading my football coverage. Never taken for granted.