Playing time tracker for Steelers vs. Bears (Week 3)
Okay, let’s address the joke before someone posts it in the comments: no one came to play.
I wish I could say that’s true. I know the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to a 0-2 Chicago Bears team on the road, and I’m well aware that every Steelers unit struggled on Sunday.
What I’d like to focus on here is the headline of the article: that is, what components of those players on the field affected the game?
On offense, the Steelers were already down RT Marcus Gilbert, who was ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury. Pittsburgh would also lose another offensive lineman early when Ramon Foster went to the locker room after 10 plays and was replaced by B.J. Finney. Finney would play 84% of the offensive plays while the rest of the line remained in the entire game.
Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown also had 100% participation on Sunday, with Le’Veon Bell playing all but two snaps.
That covered most of the Killer B’s, except for Martavis Bryant, who only logged 70% of the team’s snaps on offense. This made way for second-round rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to play a career-high 51 snaps (80%) of Sunday’s game.
JuJu’s playing time cut into Eli Rogers‘ reps as well (33%). Jesse James left the game due to injury but would return to play 72% of the game. Vance McDonald came in for 25% of the plays while Xavier Grimble subbed in eight times.
Terrell Watson entered the game for a single play, which was his lone carry to gain a first down.
Roosevelt Nix was absent on offense, registering only four snaps. Darrius Heyward-Bey was on the field twice on offense as well.
Running the football appeared to be an issue at times throughout the game and some of that could be attributed to two backups (Finney, and Chris Hubbard subbing for Gilbert) playing on the line. Jesse James getting hurt and Nix rarely playing all led to pressure on Roethlisberger as well.
It wasn’t a sharp afternoon for the offense.
The defense looked a little better at times, and absolutely flat at others. Most of the mainstays were in for the better portion of the game, including Ryan Shazier, Artie Burns, Joe Haden, and Bud Dupree, who all played 90% or better of the game.
Anthony Chickillo continued to be the next man up off of the bench for the outside linebackers, replacing T.J. Watt in the lineup while matching Dupree’s 95% playing time.
The boys up front rotated a bit, but it was mostly the Cam Heyward and Tyson Alualu show, with the latter playing one more snap than the former. L.T. Walton came in for 18 of the defense’s 65 plays, while Javon Hargrave was in for a solid 58% of the game.
Safety Sean Davis left the field after playing 60% of the game, making way for J.J. Wilcox to play more snaps (he would log 58% of playing time). Mike Hilton was used about 1/3 of the time as the Bears didn’t pass much in this game. William Gay, who had been used primarily as a dime backer as of late, only came in for ten snaps.
Arthur Moats and James Harrison rotated in for a single series, playing three snaps each. Rounding out the defense, Dan McCullers played seven snaps. Linebackers L.J Fort and Tyler Matakevich both came in for a single goal line play.
Fans might be clamoring for more of James Harrison, but it appears the coaching staff is content with sticking to starters rather than a rotation so far this season. With Watt out, coach Mike Tomlin was on record saying that Chickillo is the first man up regardless of position (left or right). Chickillo added one of the Steelers two sacks on Sunday (Hargrave had the other).
Sean Davis’ exit may have hurt the most. The Steelers 2016 rookie of the year nearly played every snap at strong safety after assuming the starting role midway through last season. Fans should take note that J.J. Wilcox, who has been with the team for roughly three week, was his replacement. Robert Golden, who started at the position last season, did not play a single down on defense.
