Pittsburgh Steelers Week 11 Winners and Losers
The Steelers played their best game of the season Thursday night, as they won in blowout fashion over the Titans. While I typically come down pretty hard on players after the game, the Steelers didn’t give me much to complain about in this 40-17 victory.
Here are my winners and losers from week 11 against the Tennessee Titans:
Winners
Ben Roethlisberger
This was by far Ben’s best game of the season, and quite possibly the best game he’s had since Week 4 of 2016 versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Roethlisberger had a few shaky moments, but for the most part, he looked like the gun-slinging, game-changing quarterback we used to know. His 4 touchdown passes were a season-high he played fantastic out of the hurry-up offense. His performance should give Steelers fans hope that the best is yet to come for this offense.
Antonio Brown
We’ve come to expect these types of performances from one of the best offensive players in the league. Brown was nearly perfect against the Titans defense – catching 10 of 13 passes for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns. His ridiculous one-handed catch off his helmet is just more proof of how talented Brown is. Apart from a fumble (that was fortunately recovered by Martavis Bryant), Brown was perfect.
Cam Heyward
Fans should be realizing more and more that Cam Heyward is a beast. He almost always makes the winners list because he is so consistent. Against the Titans, he racked up another 2 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hits. Heyward is on pace for over 11 sacks this year. With one more sack, he would break a personal record for sacks in a season.
Ryan Shazier
Shazier had a somewhat quiet showing. We’ve become so used to him creating turnovers that we sometimes feel it’s a disappointment when he doesn’t. Shazier was rock-solid as a tackler against the Titans, and received another high grade from Pro Football Focus this week (83.5).
Mike Hilton
It’s hard not to love Mike Hilton. This kid basically walks on the team and is an instant impact player for the black and gold. Hilton posted 6 tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception that he returned for 26 yards.
Stephon Tuitt
With injuries and the stellar play of Cam Heyward this season, Tuitt often gets lost in the shuffle. However, his importance should not be overlooked. Tuitt got after the quarterback yet again – recording a sack and 2 quarterback hits. He was also a huge reason why Tennessee’s rushing attack managed just 2.5 yards per carry this game. Tuitt has now managed sacks in back-to-back games.
Sean Davis
Sean Davis is a work in progress, but he has all the tools you could desire in a safety: he’s long, physical, and fast with coverage ability. He also has the ability to take the ball away (which he put on display last night with an interception he returned 41 yards). Davis continues to trend in the right direction.
Coty Sensabaugh
Yes, Sensabaugh had few lapses in coverage – including allowing a 75-yard touchdown pass to Matthews. However, in his first full week as a starter for the Steelers, he did a pretty good job. Outside of that play, he allowed just 2 catches for 10 yards on 6 targets, according to Pro Football Focus. He also reeled in the team’s first interception of the game that ultimately put the Steelers up 2 scores.
Chris Boswell
The “Wizard of Boz” was clutch in this one. After having one kick clang off the upright and another blocked last week, Boswell was flawless Thursday night – finishing 4/4 in field goal attempts, including a 50-yard attempt right down the center.
Tyler Matakevich/ Roosevelt Nix
Skycam gave us a good view of just how good these two players are on special teams. They could be seen releasing from their blocks and were constantly the first two players to arrive on the scene to stop the return. They combined for four special team tackles and held Adoree’ Jackson in check.
Losers
Robert Golden
There were two Steelers who clearly played at a level below the rest in this game – backup safety, Robert Golden was one of them. Sometimes it’s hard to notice the impact a player like Mike Mitchell has on the game until you replace him with someone like Golden. The former Arizona University safety did a lousy job tackling and was caught out of position multiple times. Now in his sixth NFL season, Golden has proven that he is no more than a replacement level player at best.
Artie Burns
Artie Burns has had a good sophomore season with the Steelers so far, but last night wasn’t his night. The 2016 first round pick played undisciplined football – often peeking in the backfield and losing track of the receiver he was assigned to. Burns’ play was sloppy and his tackling was poor in this contest. If he can learn to play with the energy and physicality of a player like Mike Hilton, however, he will be a good corner for a long time.
