Steelers winners and losers in Divisional Round loss to the Jaguars
The Steelers 2017 season ended in heartbreak as Pittsburgh was once again defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars – this time knocking them out of the playoffs and ending their Super Bowl aspirations.
Though it wasn’t all bad, there was a lot of ugliness to be passed around. With a heavy heart, here are my final Steelers winners and losers after their playoff loss to Jacksonville:
Winners
Ben Roethlisberger
If Roethlisberger is to retire this year (which I don’t think he will), then at least he went out with a bang. Sure, Ben threw a couple of balls that shouldn’t have been thrown, but his performance was overall spectacular. Ben tallied 469 passing yards with 5 touchdowns (6 if you count the heads-up pitch to Bell) and one interception.
Despite a terribly called game by Todd Haley, Ben looked like the player we were used to seeing for so many years. The Steelers wouldn’t have been close in this one if not for Roethlisberger.
Antonio Brown
Brown showed again this Sunday why he is the best receiver in the league. Brown nabbed 7 catches for 132 yards and two huge touchdowns. Even with Jacksonville defensive backs holding him at times, Brown could not be slowed.
Martavis Bryant
Martavis ended the season with a bag. He’s been extremely efficient with his targets as of late, and despite seeing just 4 looks, Bryant managed 78 yards and a touchdown. It will be interesting to see what the Steelers plan to do with Martavis this offseason.
Le’Veon Bell
Though Bell struggled once again on the ground, he proved why he is so dangerous in the passing game. Bell grabbed 9 balls for 88 yards and 2 total touchdowns. With another big performance, Bell is going to need to be paid next year, and I’m not sure the Steelers can give him the money he seeks.
Whether or not he returns to Pittsburgh, Bell may have been the best running back to wear black and gold for the Steelers.
Losers
Coaching Staff
The coaching in this game was pitiful.
Mike Tomlin
Tomlin clearly did not have his team ready to play. Earlier in the year, the Steelers nearly dropped a game to the Colts after the regular season bye week. After having two full weeks to prepare for this crucial moment, the Steelers could not have come out more sluggish.
Offensively, the Steelers may have scored a lot of points, but it was not because of
Todd Haley
Haley called a terrible game, including two head-scratching plays on 4th and inches. He tried to get too cute with his playcalling, and it resulted in leaving points on the table for the Steelers.
Keith Butler
Butler was also horrible in this game. The Steelers surrendered 45 points to a below average offense led by Blake Bortles. Butler could not find a way to get pressure on the quarterback, stop the run, or get off the field on third downs. Some changes must be made in the front office, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Keith Butler was among the first to go.
Pass Rush
The pass rush was awful in this game. I can say with confidence that
Bud Dupree
In my opinion, Dupree was a waste of a first-round pick for the Steelers. Their front seven didn’t even show up for the game.
Run Defense
The Steelers run defense was almost as bad. They allowed Fournette and company to chew up 4.7 yards per rush and could never seem to get a stop when they needed it most. The Steelers allowed a whopping 4 rushing touchdowns in this playoff game.
Sean Spence
Spence is easily the worst player that gets significant playing time for the Steelers. I’ve been complaining about Tomlin’s decision to sign Spence and start him since he got here. Spence belongs at home, watching the game, not wearing a Steelers uniform.
