STEELERS WEEK 7 REPORT CARD
Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger was terrific in the first half in helping the Steelers get their 24-7 lead. He was at his best on third downs, as the Steelers converted eight of their nine attempts in the half. The second half performance wasn’t as good. He threw two of his three interceptions after halftime, and the Steelers converted just five of their nine third downs in the second half. “Three interceptions is unacceptable by me,” Roethlisberger said. “I didn’t make enough plays in the second half.” For the game, he was 32 for 49 for 268 yards with two touchdowns. It was a winning performance, but it also felt like his worst game of the season, too.
Grade: B-
Running backs: James Conner was a big part of the first-half dominance the Steelers displayed, totaling 82 yards (60 rushing and 22 receiving). But like the rest of the offense, he was quiet in the second half as he could muster only 29 scrimmage yards. Much of that had to do with the play-calling and Roethlisberger’s interceptions. Conner should walk into Randy Fichtner’s office on Monday and demand he get more rushes when the Steelers have such a big lead. The Steelers need to be able to close out games better, and Conner has to be a bigger part of that process.
Grade: B
Receivers: Welcome back, Dionate Johnson. After missing most of the previous two games with a back injury, Johnson sparkled against the Titans, catching nine passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. We can also take JuJu Smith-Schuster off the back of the milk carton. He showed up in a big way with nine catches for 85 yards, many of them coming on third downs that helped the Steelers bleed some clock in the second half. The Steelers had nine players catch passes on Sunday, and getting their top two players going should help the offense going forward. “Everyone was involved,” Roethlisberger said. “Everyone was making plays.”
Grade: B
Offensive line: Roethlisberger attempted 49 passes and was not sacked once, though they did hit him three times and defected some passes at the line of scrimmage, including one that was intercepted. But that’s more on Roethlisberger than the linemen. The running game was good in the first half but inconsistent in the second half. Like Conner, the line should be demanding a bigger role in closing games out. The second half was their time to shine, and they didn’t get a chance to do it. Shout out to Jerald Hawkins for blocking well as the extra tight end and filling in for Chuks Okorafor, who left the game in the second half with an injury. The reserves keep stepping up and playing well when called upon.
Grade: B+
Defensive line: Cam Heyward didn’t smile once on his postgame Zoom call. He was mad the defense didn’t finish the game as well as it started it. But he and his linemates accomplished their goal of keeping Derrick Henry from controlling the game. The Steelers held Henry to 75 rushing yards, and he was a non-factor in the first half when the Steelers jumped out to their big lead. Stephon Tuitt was a force in the run defense and had two quarterback hits on Ryan Tannehill.
Grade: B
Linebackers: This was a game tailor-made for Vince Williams and Robert Spillane, and they did not disappoint. Williams led the team in tackles with 10, including two for loss, and added a sack. Spillane, who is taking over for the injured Devin Bush, had three tackles, including a highlight-reel stop of Henry on third-and-goal. T.J. Watt had five tackles (three for losses) and had a sack. They’ll continue to get tested without Bush in the middle of their defense, but for one game this unit held up very well against one of the NFL’s best offenses.
Grade: A-
Secondary: The Tennessee comeback got started when A.J. Brown took a short pass and turned it into a 73-yard touchdown. And it happened because free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick took a bad angle on the tackle attempt. Fitzpatrick also got called for holding on fourth-and-goal, which allowed the Titans to score and cut into the Steelers’ lead. The other members of the defensive backfield fared much better. Cam Sutton, filling in at slot corner for the injured Mike Hilton, had two passes defensed. Terrell Edmunds also had two passes defensed, and Joe Haden had seven tackles. But the Steelers are allowing far too many big plays early in the season, and the secondary has been to blame for many of those.
Grade: C
Special teams: Ray-Ray McCloud continues to be quite the find for the Steelers. He had three punt returns for 83 yards, including a 57-yarder that set up a touchdown late in the first half. That turned out to be one of the biggest plays of the game because the offense bogged down in the second half. Chris Boswell booted two more field goals and remained perfect on the season, and Jordan Berry, who was re-signed Saturday after Dustin Colquitt was released, averaged 50 yards on his two punts and pinned the Titans inside their 20 on both occasions. The punt and kickoff return units held Titans returner Kalif Raymond in check, too.
Grade: A
Coaching: The streak of 23 consecutive games without scoring a touchdown on their first drive is over thanks to Roethlisberger and Fichtner, both of whom orchestrated a beautiful 16-play drive that not only produced seven points, but also took 9:18 off the clock. Fichtner called a great first half, but his decision-making in the second half left much to de desired. Having Roethlisberger attempt 49 passes on a day they built such a big, early lead is inexcusable. It almost cost the Steelers the game. It was such a head-scratching move because the Steelers had run the ball so well in the first half. Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler had similar afternoons with the defense. They oversaw a dominant first half with some questionable decisions after halftime. The Steelers were lucky to escape with a win, but they are 6-0. “Not a perfect product,” Tomlin said. “We understand that. But I appreciate their efforts. We are perfect from a record standpoint and so we respect that.”
Grade: B-
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: October 25, 2020, 10:16 p.m.