Pittsburgh Steelers Week 6 Winners and Losers
In a game that many assumed would have the Chiefs coming out on top, the Steelers showed up and played some serious football. There were lots of positives to note, but as always for me, there was still some complaints and worries I have following this week 6 win. Here are my Steelers winners and losers from this past Sunday against the Chiefs:
Winners
Le’Veon Bell
No Complaints here. There was one catch on 3rd down where Bell needed to make one man miss to pick up a first, but was stuffed a yard short. Other than that, a nearly perfect game for one of the league’s best running backs. Bell had his best game of the season and all arrows are pointing up for the former first-team All-Pro running back.
Mike Hilton
I’ll continue to toot my own horn and say ‘I told you so’ for this one. I am the biggest Mike Hilton supporter there is. He had 5 tackles, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit. He provided tremendous pressure blitzing and was just as good in coverage. Unlike every other player in the back end of Steelers defense, he has yet to have anything close to a bad game so far. Don’t be surprised if we are referring to him as the best player in the Steelers secondary by the end of the year.
Antonio Brown
In the first half, Brown could have easily been mistaken for a loser in this game. He had two costly errors, including letting the ball drop on a free kick after the safety and running the wrong route that resulted in an interception. However, AB quickly turned things around with some big-time catches – including perhaps the best touchdown catch in the NFL so far this season to seal the game for Pittsburgh. Brown was 8 of 10 in targets for 155 yards and a touchdown. Doesn’t get much better than that in terms of efficiency.
Cam Heyward/Stephon Tuitt
This was an example of a game where the ‘Twin Towers’ didn’t get credit for a lot on the stat sheet, but both played very well for the Steelers. Tuitt and Heyward quickly closed running lanes and provided consistent pressure all game. There modest stat line of just two tackles each doesn’t tell the whole tale. Heyward and Tuitt received very good Pro Football Focus grades of 85.9 and 83.0, respectively.
James Harrison
Deebo is still alive, Steelers Nation. On a limited number of snaps, James Harrison made a massive impact with a sack, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback pressure. As always, Harrison’s sack couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for the Steelers. It’s good to keep seeing signs of life from the linebacker who will turn 40 this spring.
Sean Davis
Davis has been climbing the ladder the last couple weeks and posted his best game of the season so far. Besides garnering 8 tackles and laying the hammer in run support, Davis also came up with the defensive play of the game – a pass breakup in the end zone that otherwise would have gone for a Kansas City score. When Davis plays well, it really has an effect on the entire defense.
Vince Williams
Vince Williams continues to light up the stat sheets with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 quarterback hits. Williams was outstanding against the run. Though he had a lapse or two in coverage, it was nothing serious and he played very well overall. Williams has proved to be a difference maker in blitzing situations as the middle linebacker now has 4.0 sacks in 6 games this season.
Tyler Matakevich
If you watched the handful of snaps Matakevich played, it’s hard not to come away impressed. In some of the fewest defensive snaps on the team, Dirty Red still registered 4 tackles. He also forced the quarterback out of the pocket twice and assisted Sean Davis in the pass breakup in the end zone. He hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunity on defense, but when he plays, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Losers
Mike Mitchell
If you know me, I’m not the biggest Mike Mitchell fan. At times, he can play like the best player on the defense. He is capable of lighting up ball carriers as well as create turnovers. However, Mitchell was even more hot-headed in this game than he usually is – his worst moment coming off a missed sack opportunity that he followed up with a personal foul against Alex Smith. Not the best day for Mike Mitchell.
Artie Burns
Burns had every right to make it on the winners column if it wasn’t for a major lapse in coverage during the 4th quarter that could have cost Steelers the game. Until that point, Burns was having a quiet day (which is typically a good thing for cornerbacks). He recorded two pass breakups and provided great coverage. Unfortunately, giving up a 57-yard touchdown to De’Anthony Thomas in crucial moments of the game will surely put you with the losers.
Ben Roethlisberger
I’m prepared to suffer the repercussions of putting Big Ben on this list, but I feel like it needs to be done. It wasn’t like Ben threw 3-5 interceptions or anything. He simply failed to make a big difference in this game. The Steelers dominated the Chiefs through the ground and on defense, and though Ben’s stat line was respectable (17 of 25 for 252 yards with 1 TD, 1 INT), he failed to turn 80 plus yard drives into more than three points most of the time.
I won’t blame him for the interception he was credited with, as that one clearly appeared to be Brown’s fault. However, Roethlisberger made a terrible decision late in the game to throw the ball to AB against great coverage. Fortunately, the corner let the ball slip through his hands and Brown is the best receiver in the league. Take away that fluke touchdown, and Ben’s offense puts up just 10 points this week. He has got to start making better decisions and find ways to convert in the red zone. Ben also hasn’t been doing a great job of getting other receivers involved (like Martavis Bryant, who has reportedly requested a trade and saw just 3 targets again this week).
Bud Dupree
Dupree had his second consecutive quiet outing, as the former 2015 first round pick recorded just a single tackle. He now has just two tackles since week four and has done little to make his presence felt as of late. Don’t confuse Dupree for being a bust, as that is not at all the case. It’s not always a bad thing to be quiet when your defense dominates. It’s just that we would like to hear his name called a little bit more in the coming weeks.
