Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo grades each aspect of the Steelers’ 23-20 overtime victory against the Bengals.
Quarterback: Most importantly, Mitch Trubisky did not turn the ball over in his first game as Steelers quarterback, and his two throws to tight end Pat Freiermuth on the winning drive were huge. But, other than that, there wasn’t much happening with the passing game. Trubisky finished with 198 passing yards and a touchdown, good for a 78.2 quarterback rating. The Steelers are going to need more in future games, but he managed the game well enough to beat the defending AFC champions.
Grade: B-
Running backs: The Steelers rushed for 75 yards, but 36 of those came on reverses to Chase Claypool. The traditional running game was almost nonexistent. Najee Harris had 23 yards on 10 carries and had to leave the game late with a foot injury. Backup Jaylen Warren wasn’t much better, as he had 7 yards on three carries. Not that there was much daylight. They were running into a brick wall most of the game.
Grade: C
Receivers: Tight end Pat Freiermuth and wide receiver Diontae Johnson made some terrific catches late to help the Steelers win, but overall, the receivers were too quiet. Johnson had 55 receiving yards, but Claypool and George Pickens combined for just 19 yards. Pickens was only targeted three times and had one catch for 3 yards. He’s one of the best playmakers on the team. The coaches have to get him more involved going forward. He had one-on-one coverage on the outside several times, and the Steelers only tried one deep shot to him.
Grade: C
Offensive line: Trubisky was only sacked one time, but the line struggled to make running lanes for Harris and Warren. There are three new starters, and it’s going to take some time for the group to jell. However, the improvement has to start happening soon. It’s going to be too hard to win with such little push up front. Teams are going to start getting wise to the reverses and gadget plays. They won’t work all season.
Grade: D
Defensive line: The Steelers had a great push up front on what still appears to be a very questionable Bengals offensive line. Cam Heyward had four tackles, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. Larry Ogunjobi had four tackles in his first game with the Steelers. The coaches dressed seven defensive linemen, and the rotation allowed the defense to pressure Burrow throughout the game.
Grade: A
Linebackers: Outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith were game-wreckers. Highsmith had nine tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. Watt had four tackles, a sack and an interception before leaving the game with a pectoral injury late in the fourth quarter. Watt’s injury puts a damper on the victory. Malik Reed and Jamir Jones are now in the spotlight. They’ve been with the Steelers for only a week, but they need to produce during Watt’s absence.
Grade: A+
Secondary: Minkah Fitzpatrick had an interception return for a touchdown and a game-high 14 tackles, including one when he ran down Joe Mixon before he could make it to the end zone. That turned out to be a huge play because the Bengals had to settle for a field goal. Cam Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon also had interceptions. Sure, Joe Burrow threw for 338 yards, but he had to drop back over 60 times to make it happen. This was a virtuoso performance by the defensive backs to own one of the best young quarterbacks in the league.
Grade: A
Special teams: Chris Boswell loves playing the Bengals. He’s now made 36 of his 38 career attempts in this rivalry, including the 53-yard boot to win in overtime on Sunday. One of his misses came minutes earlier when a 55-yard attempt near the end of regulation hit the goal post. Punter Pressley Harvin III had a 48.5-yard average, including a 60-yarder, and had another downed inside the 20. The coverage teams kept the Bengals returners in check, too. Gunner Olszewski returned a punt 20 yards to set up a field goal in the fourth quarter.
Grade: A
Coaching: Teryl Austin called his first game as Steelers defensive coordinator, and he was pushing all the right buttons. He put his best players in position to make game-changing plays against the same Bengals offense that put 41 points on the Steelers in this same stadium last fall. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada dialed up a few trick plays to spark the Steelers offense, including a reverse in overtime that helped set up the winning field goal. But for long stretches of the game, the offense was impotent, finishing with just 267 yards and 13 first downs. He’s going to have to get much more creative to get the offense jump-started.
Grade: B
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: September 11, 2022, 10:11 p.m.
Updated: September 12, 2022, 10:03 a.m.
