The Pittsburgh Steelers practiced with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

They’ll face off again on Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium, with the stakes at least a little higher, as both teams play their second preseason game.

Tomlin appreciated the joint training since the Bills use a 4-3 formation on defense while the Steelers play in a 3-4 formation.

“They’re different than us in some ways, and that’s why it’s been really good to work with,” Tomlin said Thursday. “I would imagine it’s been good for both offensive lines to see those different structures and work with them for a couple of days instead of just one day.”

Russell Wilson will get his chance to test the Bills’ 4-3 formation when the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback makes his unofficial debut with the Steelers. The Steelers signed Wilson on March 16 for $1.21 million – the veteran minimum salary – after he was released by the Denver Broncos.

The move was costly for the Broncos. Wilson will count $53 million against the salary cap this season, and the 35-year-old will count another $32 million next year.

Wilson sat out last week’s season opener with a calf injury. Justin Fields, another offseason addition, started in Wilson’s place and the Steelers lost to the Houston Texans 20-12.

Now Wilson can start proving the Broncos were wrong to release him just two seasons after completing a major trade to the Seattle Seahawks for him.

“He’s had a couple of really good days,” Tomlin said. “With each day that goes by, (the injury) is less of an issue and we’re excited for him to be able to play in this home game.”

Tomlin wants to play on his first team offense and defense for four series, though he said it’s “not set in stone.” If history is any guide, the starters will sit out the final preseason game on Aug. 24, when the Steelers visit the Detroit Lions.

“We’re planning on playing with about four guys this time, but that may change depending on what we see,” Tomlin said. “If they’re very effective and productive and we’re doing quality work, we might leave them to get more exposure to the other guys. So that’s the pattern we’re working with.”

Fields started his first game for the Steelers last week after being acquired from the Chicago Bears in the offseason in exchange for a conditional 2025 draft pick.

The Bears selected Field in the first round of the 2022 draft and he had a 10-28 record in three seasons as a starter. Chicago parted ways with Fields after selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

Fields completed 5 of 6 passes for 67 yards. However, the Steelers failed to score during Fields’ three possessions and he was also involved in two botched snaps.

Coincidentally, the Bills were beaten 33-6 by the Bears in their first exhibition game last week.

Fields is nominally competing with Wilson for the starting quarterback spot, but it would be a surprise if Fields began the season as QB1, assuming Wilson is healthy.

“We want to play cleaner,” Tomlin said. “We didn’t play the way we would have liked last time in some cases in terms of penalties, especially the pre-snap stuff and some basic stuff, the (center quarterback) substitutions, the Steelers beating the Steelers, that’s not our thing. We need to get all those things in order, those pre-snap things, those things that are 100% controllable.”