Tag Archives: Danny Smith

Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for Win Over Falcons: New Era Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher excited to welcome both new students and a new era, here is the Report Card for the 2026 Steelers season-opening win over the Falcons at Acrisure Stadium.

Darnell Washington stiff arms Xavier Watts.

Darnell Washington lets Xavier Watts know who is boss. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers went 24 of 40 for 221 yards and one touchdown. Rodgers looked comfortable and in command of the offense, made good decisions and suffered too many drops. Grade: BSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren carried 10 times for 46 yards but coughed up the ball setting up Atlanta’s only touchdown. Warren also caught 5 passes for 27 yards. Rico Dowdle carried 8 times for 15 yards and caught 2 passes for 6 yards. The Steelers running backs didn’t keep any Fantasy Football owners happy but Warren did move the chains late in the game. Grade: C-

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had a solid afternoon catching 5 passes for 46 yards for the team’s only touchdown. He also blocked well. Darnell Washington only caught 2 passes for 18 yards and it is tempting to give the group an “A” just for his 15 yard catch (see the lead photo.) We won’t go that far, but the tight ends were easily the strongest unit on the offense. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf caught 4 passes on 10 targets. He was robbed of a long gain by a non-pass interference call, but dropped a highly catchable ball that he could have taken to the house. Roman Wilson caught 3 passes on 6 targets but gave up a combat catch in the end zone. Michael Pittman Jr. had the best day of the trio, catching 3 for 58, and brings the group grade up. Grade: D

Offensive Line
This was an area of worry going into the game, but the line was OK. Aaron Rodgers only gave up two sacks and had more time to pass than he did a year ago. Dylan Cook still looks uneasy a right tackle and Spencer Anderson also had some difficult moments, but the center and the left of the line had a solid afternoon. Grade: C

Defensive Line
Is there anything that Cam Heyward can’t do? He stuffed  Bijan Robinson on a number of occasions and batted down 3 passes. The Steelers defensive line didn’t put up gaudy statistics, but they contained Robinson, which was critical to the success of the rest of the defense. Grade: B+

Linebackers
Payton Wilson led the group with 13 tackles including 2 for losses and was all over the field. Patrick Queen was next with 7. Nick Herbig was on the field for 60% of the snaps making 2 tackles and one QB hit. Alex Highsmith ended the Falcons opening and closing drives with sacks. The real star was T.J. Watt who was in Hall of Fame form with 2 tackles, 2 for losses, 1 pass batted down, 2 sacks and 1 pick six. Grade: A

Secondary
A brand new secondary started for the Steelers compared to what was on the field the last time they opened a season vs the Falcons in 2024. And the new unit played well. Neither Jamel Dean’s nor Asante Samuel Jr.’s name was heard much and for both cornerbacks that was a good thing. Jalen Ramsey was likely out of position on one of Robinson’s long gains, but he did step up with a critical pass defense. And Pittsburgh native Jaquan Brisker hauled in an interception that set up the first TD. Grade: A-

Special Teams
Jim Wexell quoted the legendary Bill Nunn as saying that Danny Smith was the most well-organized special teams coach he’d ever seen. After watching the Steelers special teams’ first game without Smith since 2013, that’s easy to believe.

Eli Heidenreich and Kaden Wetjen had solid though not spectacular debuts as return men. But the Steelers coverage units gave up more than you’d like to see, and had a long gain against them reversed by a penalty. Chris Boswell went 2-3 missing a makeable field goal, and the entire unit lost another with a “what was that?” moment. Clearly, Danny Crossman has work to do. Grade: D

Coaching
The last time someone other than Mike Tomlin coached the Steelers, MySpace dominated social media, Twitter was in its infancy and if you wanted to rent a movie, you drove to Blockbuster.

Outside of a handful of exceptions, this was an end-to-end overhaul of the Steelers coaching staff, and by and large new head coach Mike McCarthy and his coaches did well in their first game with Pittsburgh.

For all of the criticism of the new Steelers offense looking the same as the old offense, Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio’s play design and play calling choices differed greatly from what Pittsburgh has seen. And with just a little better execution, the score would have been very different.

Patrick Graham has no shortage of weapons to use on defense, and he deployed them wisely. This allowed several key players to step up at critical moments and this was the difference in the game.

September football is synonymous with sloppy football. The Steelers were no exception. But Pittsburgh was better prepared than Atlanta as the final score indicates. Grade: B

Derrick Harmon, Jack Sawyer and Payton Wilson gang tackle Brian Robinson during the Steelers win over the Falcons.

Jack Sawyer helps gang tackle Brian Robinson. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Unsung Hero Award
Sometimes less is more. T.J. Watt played well all day, but he exploded in the last 18 minutes. We’ve seen that before but not for a while. Over the past 3 seasons, Watt has played over 80% of the defensive snaps. Against the Falcons it was in the low 60s. And he was able to do that because a young, second-year defender was able to come in and spell him, and for that Jack Sawyer wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 opening-day win over the Atlanta Falcons.

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Steelers Lose Calvin Austin, Connor Heyward as Final Picks from 2022 Draft Depart

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The Pittsburgh Steelers can [almost] officially declare their 2022 NFL Draft as a wash, as the final members of that draft class, Calvin Austin and Connor Heyward, have departed in free agency.

Calvin Austin will leave the Steelers to play for former AFC North Rival John Harbaugh with the New York Giants. Reports indicate that Austin has signed a one-year contract with a base salary of 1.5 million and incentives that could bring him up to 4.5 million.

Calvin Austin, Greg Newsome, Pittsburgh Steelers

Calvin Austin hauls in a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Connor Heyward for his part has agreed to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders, who have given Cam Heyward’s little brother a 5.5 million dollar, 2-year contract with 2 million guaranteed.

Neither move should be considered a surprise, although both count as minor disappointments to this Steelers scribe. Of the two moves, Austin’s departure is the most impactful.

The Steelers have D.K. Metcalf and just traded for Michael Pittman Jr., giving them two legitimate NFL caliber wide receivers for the first time since the 2023 season when they had Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. But behind Metcalf and Michael Pittman the Steelers have Ben Skowronek and Roman Wilson.

The Steelers entered the 2025 season counting on Roman Wilson to establish himself as Robin to D.K. Metcalf’s Batman. Instead, he finished the year on the inactive list. And while Ben Skowronek has represented himself well in spot duty at wide receiver, he’s a core special teamer.

Even if they’d kept Calvin Austin in the fold the Steelers would have likely looked to draft a wide receiver in the first round, but now they’re in a position of almost take a wide out no later than round 2 in the 2026 NFL Draft.

  • Connor Heyward’s departure also thins out depth at tight end.

The Steelers do have JJ Galbreath behind Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, but they don’t even have another player under a “futures” contract at the tight end position. Connor Heyward’s departure also robs the team of the only player they had who had worked as a fullback.

Finally, Heyward was an impressive contributor on special teams who will now need to be replaced.

With Austin and Heyward officially no longer Steelers, nothing remains of the Steelers 2022 draft class, save for the third round pick they have from Dallas following the George Pickens trade.

Killebrew Reunites with Danny Smith in Tampa

Miles Killebrew has been a special teams ace for the Pittsburgh Steelers since his arrival in 2021 until suffering an awful season-ending injury on the turf at Acrisure Stadium in the Steelers win over the Cleveland Browns last October.

Miles Killebrew, Steelers vs Chargers 2021, Miles Killebrew blocked punt

Miles Killebrew blocks a punt. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Unfortunately, that was Killebrew’s final game with the Steelers, as he will reunite with special teams coach Danny Smith, after signing as one-year 1.8 million dollar contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Killebrew’s decision is hardly a surprise, as reports indicated that he had put his home in Pittsburgh up for sale earlier this year.

There have other comings and goings in Steelers free agency which we’ll have more to say about soon.

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Mike Tomlin Steelers Legacy: 19 Years of Winning in Pittsburgh

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Mike Tomlin left the Pittsburgh Steelers the same way he arrived – unheralded and unanticipated.

When Bill Cowher called it a day after the Steelers 2006 season, everyone knew either Russ Grimm or Ken Whisenhunt would get the job. Art Rooney II admitted that he didn’t expect to hire yet Mike Tomlin when he walked in the door, but Tomlin knocked his and Dan Rooney’s socks off.

By the same token, Art Rooney wasn’t expecting Mike Tomlin to step away following the loss to the Texans. But step away he has. Here we review Mike Tomlin’s full legacy as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, balancing his accomplishments and shortcomings, all framed within their historical context.

Mike Tomlin, Mike Tomlin Franco Harris Jersey, Steelers vs Raiders

Mike Tomlin wearing a Franco Harris jersey. Photo Credit: Fred Vuich, AP via St. Albert Gazette

2007 – 2010: Cementing the Franchise Legacy

Few NFL coaches get handed the keys to a Super Bowl team.

If you think that winning is “simple” for them then please Google Phil Bengtson, Ray Handley and Richie Petitbon. A coach who takes the reins of a Super Bowl-caliber team must do much more than “not mess up.”

As Willie Colon explains, “It’s hard to grab the keys to the Porsche and not crash it.”

In his first season, Mike Tomlin took an underperforming team that had gone 8-8 in 2006 and led them to a 10-6 record and an AFC North Championship.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Heath Miller to bring the Steelers within 5 points. Mike Tomlin went for two. Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward bringing narrowing the difference to three.

Except Sean Mahan got flagged for holding. Tomlin didn’t bat an eye and went for two again. But this time, Roethlisberger couldn’t connect.

  • The Steelers did score again. But so did the Jaguars who won the game 31 to 29.

The move was controversial at the time, but with social media in its infancy the fan rage muted by 2026 standards.

But by doubling down in going for 2, Mike Tomlin established his legacy as a head coach who would put games in the hands of his players and trust them to deliver with the game on the line.

With the Arizona Cardinals threatening to take the lead as the first half closed, James Harrison, granted the freedom to freelance by Tomlin and Dick LeBeau, audibled out of his pass rush assignment and dropped into coverage. 100 yards later Harrison authored the longest run in Super Bowl history, putting the Steelers up 17 to 7.

james harrison, super bowl xliii, interception, record, pick six

James Harrison’s dramatic interception in Super Bowl XLIII

By the time more points were needed to put Pittsburgh back in the lead, the culture of trust and confidence in one another Tomlin had built proved to be the difference maker, as observed at the time:

the Steelers poise and camaraderie were consistent for four quarters. The men in Black and Gold never lost their belief in themselves nor their faith in one another. When faced with adversity, they persevered, they remained determined. And they did it together. That’s been the case all season.

And that’s what made them Super Bowl champions.

The Steelers 2009 season will and should be remembered for the Super Bowl hangover Tomlin tried and failed to avoid.

  • But 2009 revealed something important about Tomlin: His ability to rally a down team.

Memories have faded, but Tomlin’s Steelers never looked worse than they did during 2009’s 5-game losing streak. Yet, Tomlin rallied them for 3 straight wins.

In 2010, the Steelers suffered one of their worst off seasons ever as the word “Midgeville” entered the vernacular. Willie Colon was lost for the season in June. With Ben Roethlisberger suspended for 4 games, Tomlin brought Byron Leftwich back to Pittsburgh. Leftwich broke his leg in preseason.

By week, 2 Mike Tomlin was playing Charlie Batch, effectively his 4th string quarterback, and traveling to Tennessee, starting UDFA Steve McLeodon over Casey Hampton and authoring arguably the greatest defensive performance in franchise history.

  • By the time 2010 ended, the Steelers were in their 3 Super Bowl in 6 years.

Super Bowl XLV ended with a loss , but that didn’t change the fact that as new decade began, it was no longer a question of 4 Super Bowls for Chuck Noll and 1 for Bill Cowher, it was 6 Super Bowls for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Kevin Colbert observed.

2011 – 2017: The Under Appreciated Rebuild

Mike Tomlin isn’t the only coach to take over a Super Bowl team and win another Lombardi. But continuing to win for more a couple-of-three seasons is much more challenging.

  • Just ask Barry Switzer or Mike Martz.

Yet, despite the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement leaving the Steelers in Salary Cap purgatory, Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert managed .500 seasons in 2012 and again in 2013 – after a 2-4 start no less. The 2012 season stands out for one simple reason – it contains the only Mike Tomlin-coached game where the Steelers were eliminated from playoff contention.

  • By 2014 the Steelers returned to the playoffs, as they did in 2015 and 2016.

As observed elsewhere on this site, the Steelers Killer Bees were too true to their name. Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown only played 3 of a possible 7 playoff games together.

Steelers Killer Bees, Steelers Killer Bs, Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell

The Steelers Killer Bees were too true to their name. Photo Credit: pegitboard.com

(Rhetorical question “How might Chuck Noll have fared had Bradshaw, Franco, Swann and Stallworth been similarly unavailable for his playoff runs?”)

Injuries aside, by the time the Steelers reached the 2016 AFC Championship game, the only three players who remained from the 2008 Super Bowl squad were James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger and long snapper Greg Warren.

Yes, Tom Brady seared the Steelers that night in New England, but the fact that Mike Tomlin got his team there with three rookies defensive starters, without Cam Heyward in the lineup and with Robert Golden logging 36% of the defensive snaps speaks volumes about his coaching acumen.

Steelers vs Patriots, Steelers vs Patriots 2016 AFC Championship, Javon Hargrave, Tom Brady

Javon Hargrave sacks Tom Brady early in the ’16 AFC Championship. Photo Credit: Charles Krupa, AP via Mercury News.

As badly as another AFC Championship loss to the Patriots stung, the Steelers seemed to be back.

Alas, tragedy would close the Super Bowl window that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert had re-opened 12 games later, when Ryan Shazier fell to the turf paralyzed from the waist down at Paul Brown Stadium.

From there on out, Mike Tomlin would be forced to do more with less.

Interlude: Tomlin’s Warts — Assistant Coaches and Talent Evaluation

And there’s a reason why Tomlin had to do more with less. As Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher did before him, Mike Tomlin had his flaws.

The infamous post-penalty 2-point conversion foreshadowed one of them. Sean Mahan was called for holding, and he’d been hand-picked by Mike Tomlin from Tampa Bay. Mahan traded away at a fire-sale price next September.

  • That raised the question on why Tomlin chose to bring Mahan to Pittsburgh in the first place.

Yes, Mike Tomlin managed to pluck Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt at the bottom of the first round. He and his scouts found gems like Antonio Brown and Kelvin Beachum in the 6th and 7th rounds.

But as the Steelers struggled to Re-Load for Ben Roethlisberger, they swung and missed badly as any sober evaluation of their 2018, 2019, and 2020 draft classes reveals. 2021 wasn’t much better, but Salary Cap Armageddon, combined with injuries and surprise retirements, forced them  to reach to fill needs.

D.K. Metcalf, Terrell Edmunds, Steelers vs Seahawks

D.K. Metcalf burns Terrell Edmunds for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Yahoo.com

This isn’t the sole responsibility of Mike Tomlin, but his voice was at the ver least, the first among equals in the draft war room.

  • In contrast, Mike Tomlin did have a free hand in picking assistant coaches.

Let’s be objective and acknowledge Mike Munchak, Danny Smith, Karl Dunbar, Richard Mann, Al Everest and, arguably, Todd Haley as good hires.

But those were balanced out by the Bob Ligasheskys, Amos Joness, Carnell Lakes and Joey Porter Sr’s (anyone notice how Bud Dupree blossomed when Keith Butler returned to the linebackers room?) Tomlin changed offensive line coaches not named Munchak the way everyone else changes underwear.

His signature attempt to cultivate an innovative coaching talent was Matt Canada. Canada holds the infamous distinction of being the only Steelers coordinator to be fired mid-season in the modern era.

Selecting assistant coaches wasn’t Tomin’s strength, and this weakness weighed him down.

2018 – 2025 – Doing More with Less

The post-Shazier/playoff drought phase of Tomlin tenure will remain a lightning rod for generations. So be it.

  • Here the focus is on what Mike Tomlin achieved as instead of what he failed to achieve.

Three examples highlight Tomlin’s skill as both a leader and as a football tactician: Quarterbacks, the 2021 season and the 2025 season.

Quarterbacks

The Steelers franchise deserves all the criticism it gets for bungling the post-Roethlisberger transition. I can’t prove it, but I suspect Mike Tomlin wanted to draft Lamar Jackson but got beaten to the punch.

Be that as it may, following Roethlisberger’s injury in 2019, Mason Rudolph, Devlin Hodges, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers all started for the Steelers.

Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Steelers 2022 quarterback competition

Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. Photo Credit: Brandon Sloter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images and The Athletic.)

Do Coach-quarterback records say more about the coach or the QB? Who knows? Either way they yield valuable insights such as:

  • Don Shula reached a Super Bowl with David Woodley – Score one for Shula.
  • Bill Belichick’s record without Tom Brady is piss poor – draw your own conclusions.
  • Joe Gibbs won three Super Bowls with three different QBs – Yeah Joe is underrated.
  • Noll & Malone beat Walsh & Montana. Twice – Score one for The Emperor.

Rudolph, Hodges, Tribusiky, Pickett, Fields along with an aging Wilson and an even older Rodgers offer a wide spectrum in terms of talent and pedigree.

  • The only one with a losing record in Pittsburgh was Trubisky.

The rest have losing records in their post-Steelers lives, and Hodges, who was .500 as a Steelers starter, couldn’t even secure a spot on another team’s practice squad.

Enough said.

The 2021 Season

We remember Ben Roethlisberger going out with a bang in 2021 after seven 4th quarter comebacks. He gets  he lion’s share of the credit for the 9-7-1 finish.

But what we forget ’21 Steelers had an offensive line held together with spit, duct tape and bubble gum and a defensive line that had Cameron Heyward playing alongside career backups and practice squanders.

Few credit Mike Tomlin for keeping that team together. But they should.

The 2025 Season

Mike Tomlin’s Yin and Yang was on full display 2025.

During the off season, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan took several calculated personnel risks.

One was that the trio of Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. backed by safety Juan Tornhill could deliver the shutdown secondary necessary to combat Joe Burrow’s video game-like passing attack. On offense, they gambled that Roman Wilson would grow into a legit WR No 2.

  • Burrow didn’t get a chance to test them, but Joe Flacco did and exposed them.
  • Roman Wilson flashed (well, flickered) early on but finished the year inactive.

By season’s end, Mike Tomlin had brought in 3 new defensive backs and moved the pieces around so that only secondary starter was playing in his opening day position. He did something similar at wide receiver adding not one but two cast offs.

Jalen Ramsey, Tua Tagovailoa, Steelers vs Dolphins, Steelers vs Dolphins MNF

Jalen Ramsey sacks Tua Tagovailoa. Photo Credit: Alysia Rubin, Steelers.com

The changes resulted in a team that lost 5 of 7 games to close November at 6-6, to one went 4-1 down the stretch and won the AFC Championship.

Sweet Steelers Symmetry

Early in his tenure, a reader asked Ed Bouchette in a Post-Gazette chat to compare Tomlin to his predecessors. Bouchette opined that Tomlin struck him as a cross between Noll and Cowher.

So there’s something poetic about Mike Tomlin finishing with 193 regular season wins, just as Chuck Noll did. And its fitting that Tomin’s Super Bowl record of 1-1 match’s Bill Cowher’s.

Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin, Chuck Noll, Steelers Six Lombardi Trophies, Mike Tomlin Bill Cowher photo

Bill Cowher interviews Mike Tomlin. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

Noll and Cowher boast better post-season percentages, yet Tomlin’s regular season squads never swooned to the depths his predecessors touched.

Thank you Mike Tomlin for 1 Super Bowl, 2 AFC Championships, 8 AFC North Titles, 14 playoff experiences and 193 wins.

Thank you for giving us 19 years of a “winning era.”

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6 Quick Takeaways as Steelers Lose 17-14 to Buccaneers in Preseason

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The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped their preseason home opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the tune of 17-14, as a late Logan Woodside interception gave Tampa Bay the ball deep in Steelers territory, allowing them to kick a field goal as time expired.

The result itself tells us very little. The game yielded both good and bad takeaways for Steelers fans, and here are 6 of those plus a bonus program note.

Keeanu Benton, Steelers vs Buccaneers 2025 preseason

Keeanu Benton blocks a pass. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

1. Absence of Starters Self-Evident

Mike Tomlin opted to sit at least 20 players going into the game, including 13 who could be considered starters, including his top three skill players, Aaron Rodgers, D.K. Metcalf and Jaylen Warren.

ON the defensive side, T.J. Watt, DeShon Elliott, Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and Joey Porter also sat.

We’ll only know if that’s a wise football decision if the Steelers can avoid sloppy play in early September, and succeed in dodging the injury bug by late December. But from a product marketing perspective, the product on the field clearly suffered.

Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher

Chuck Noll & Bill Cower after the last game at Three Rivers Stadium. Photo via 6th Ring.com

Not that the men who suited up were delivering sub-standard performances, but this game had the look and feel of a preseason contest – far cry from August of 1994 when a preseason contest between the Steelers and Raiders got so heated that Rod Woodson found himself ejected.

After the game the intensity had Bill Cowher telling Chuck Noll, “I don’t know what you started, but it seems like I’ve got to finish it.” (Or something close to that, this quote’s from memory.)

2. The Kids Are Alright

Collectively, the Steelers looked good in their preseason win over the Jaguars last week. But rookie running back Kaleb Johnson looked lost at times, and Derrick Harmon remained invisible on the stat sheet.

That had some commentators worried, but the take away here was “The Kids Will be Alright.”

  • And against the Buccaneers, they were.

Derrick Harmon drew several double-teams and overall appeared disruptive, and managed a sack Kyle Trask with a pure bull rush. Kaleb Johnson average 4.5 yards a carry on 11 runs including a long one of 14 yards. He also had a catch of 9 yards.

Moreover, Johnson looked sharp as a kick returner, averaging 27 yards a return with a long one of 34.

3. When in Rome, Do As the Romans?

Several members of the Steelers 2024 draft class had their rookie years ruined by injuries. Out of that group, perhaps no one was a bigger X factor than Roman Wilson. When asked about his wide receiver room following the George Pickens trade, Omar Khan expressed confidence in his 2025 group and rejected comparisons to the team’s situation at the same point in 2024.

  • He didn’t mention Roman Wilson by name, but he didn’t have to.

After a shaky start at St. Vincents, Wilson’s name became mentioned more prominently. He played well against the Jaguars, and made two impressive catches against the Buccaneers that totaled 72 yards.

  • Clearly, Roman Wilson is headed in the right direction.

But has he shown enough to make Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan going with Metcalf, Calvin Austin and Wilson as their top 3 wide outs. Even if Scott Miller and Brandon Johnson have looked good in preseason, the Steelers depth at wide out remains thin.

4. Run Blocking A Concern?

The good news is that, for the second straight week, Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu looked good in pass protection.

However, overall the Steelers run blocking, which has been a weakness in training camp, looked so-so at best against the Buccaneers. Yes, Lew Nichols and Evan Hull had long runs, but Kenneth Gainwell “started” and got nowhere in his two runs against Tampa’s number 1s.

Historically, preseason has been a pretty good barometer for performance of specific units. Indeed, in the summer of 1998 it seemed that the Steelers run blocking was slipping. When the regular season started, the unit did OK, particularly when Alan Faneca worked himself into the lineup, but things went south after injuries ended Justin Strzelczyk’s season and career.

5. Punt It Out

One of the few true position battles the Steelers have this summer is at punter. Both Corliss Waitman and Cameron Johnston leaned into the completion Saturday night.

Waitman averaged 58 yards on his punts, and although Johnston “only” average 42 yards, in did get two inside the 20. Danny Smith and Mike Tomlin don’t have an easy decision in front of them, but that’s a good problem to have.

6. Odds and Sods

Cole Holcomb had another outstanding night and appears to be back inform following his gruesome injury suffered in the middle of 2023. Keeanu Benton also deflected a pass and rebounded from a subpar game last week.

If all goes well, the Steelers won’t see Miles Killebrew lining up in the secondary this fall, but he also had a pass defensed. So did Beanie Bishop and Brandin Echols.

The Steelers depth at inside linebacker and in the secondary appears to be solid.

Bonus: Program Note on DAZN

For the second straight week I watched that ad-free replay of the game on DAZN, which owns NFL Game Pass international. And for the second straight week, edits not only eliminated commercials, but also key series.

Last week it was Max Hurlman’s catch and touchdown. This week it was Ben Sauls missed field goal.

I do realize that DAZN is headquartered in London, England and therefore some of their production team might not be well-versed in American football, but get it together guys.

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Family Ties: Steelers Draft Carson Bruener in 7th Round of 2025 NFL Draft

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The Steelers kept it in the family with the first of their two seventh round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft when the took Washington’s Inside Linebacker, Carson Bruener. Bruener is of course the son of former Steelers tight end and current scout Mark Bruener.

Carson Bruener, Carson Bruener Steelers 7th round pick 2025 NFL Draft

Carson Bruener in the 2024 College football championship. Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images, via SI.com

Once the pick was in, the Steelers braintrust sent out linebackers coach Scott McCurley and special teams coach Danny Smith to talk to the media, which provides a pretty strong indication of how Bruener fits in.

Smith described him as “…a four-phase guy, punt, punt return, kickoff, kickoff return. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s relentless. He should be a good player.”

Bruener led the Washington Huskies with 104 tackles and 3 interceptions this past year working as a team captain. He did this despite playing for 3 different head coaches and 3 different defensive coordinators during his time with the team.

By definition if you’re a 7th round pick you enter your first year as a roster-bubble baby and, until you really prove you belong in the NFL, you’ll likely stay that way for a while. That’s a challenge Bruener appears well-equiped to handle.

At the NFL Scouting combine, Bruener spoke with Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell reflecting on the impact of all of the changes he’d had to undergo in college offering:

The biggest thing is take it one day at a time and be where your feet are at. Not looking too far in advance, because, if you did that, it could’ve brought a lot of challenges. You could’ve got used to one defense, one coaching staff; then they leave and you get shook. But I was just where me feet were at. One thing (Washington defensive coordinator) Steve Belichick told me that I’ve really instilled in my life is just being where your feet are at and being the same guy every single day.

Reading this as someone who has cycled through 6 bosses in under 3 years all while working for the same company, I can attest that this sound live advice, not just good football life.

Carson Bruener Video Highlights

There’s one big difference between Carson and Mark Bruener’s experience, here in 2025 even 7th round picks have their own highlight reels on YouTube. Let’s take a look:

In talking about the pick, Mike Tomlin praised his “great instincts” and his double-digit special teams tackles in 2022 and 2023, describing his family ties to the Steelers as “an awesome side note.”

Watching his highlight reel makes it easy to believe Tomlin’s final point.

Welcome to Steelers Nation Carson Bruener.

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Steelers Report Card for Win over Bengals: Cooking in the Kitchen Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher pleased to see his students cooking in the kitchen, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the win over the Bengals a Paycor Stadium.

T.J. Watt, Joe Burrow, T.J. Watt strip sack Joe Burrow, Steelers vs Bengals

T.J. Watt strip sacks Joe Burrow. Photo Credit: X.com

Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson was 29 of 23 for 414 yards 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. But those numbers don’t do him justice, as he spread the ball to 10 receivers across the entire field. More importantly, he maintained control in the huddle, sidelines, at the line of scrimmage and in the pocket. Justin Fields ran once, and he made it count. Grade: ASteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Najee Harris bounced back from a tough game, running for a touchdown, 75 yards on 16 carries and doing damage through the air with 6 catches for 54 yards. Jaylen Warren had a quiet day running for 9 yards on three carries, but he caught 4 passes for 55 yards. Cordarrelle Patterson had 3 runs for 16 yards and 3 catches for 27 yards. A good day for the running backs. Grade: B

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth caught 6 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Darnell Washington had 1 catch for 10 yards but threw a decisive block on Harris’ touchdown. MyCole Pruitt caught 2 passes for 21 yards. Grade: A-

Wide Receivers
George Pickens had 3 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, but his penalties hurt the team. Van Jefferson had one catch for 43 yards that probably should have been a touchdown. Calvin Austin did haul in his own touchdown and made another big catch for 2 grabs and 29 yards. Ben Skowronek had one catch for 23 yards, but it was a big one. Pickens’ penalties drop the grade for this group. Grade: B+

Offensive Line
This was the offensive line we’ve been waiting to see. After getting manhandled by Cleveland, the line turned in its best performance of the season. Russell Wilson was only sacked twice and the Browns only had two tackles for losses. Dan Moore bounced back too, neutralizing Trey Hendrickson. Grade: A

Defensive Line
Keeanu Benton’s single tackle doesn’t do justice to the game he played as his number was visible on several key play including a sack. Larry Ogunjobi had 1 tackle. The line did give up some rushing yards early, but that was not a factor as the game evolved. Grade: B

Linebackers
T.J. Watt dominated, with a strip sack that set up a score and another sack on third down the forced a field goal. Nick Herbig had a strip sack of his own, which Payton Wilson returned for a touchdown. Patrick Queen had nine tackles, and Preston Smith made a heads up fumble recovery after Wilson couldn’t hold on to the fumble that Watt forced. Grade: A

Secondary
Donte Jackson logged yet another heads up interception on a tipped pass, which had he not lost his footing, probably would have taken to the house. DeShon Elliott led the unit in tackles, while Cam Sutton quietly tipped away 2 passes. Joey Porter Jr. kept Tee Higgins in check, but his pass interference penalties award the Bengals premium field position far too often. Grade: B-

Secondary
Danny Smith’s special teams gave up a blocked kick which fortunately wasn’t decisive, but it could have been. The Steelers kick return coverage was also a bit below average. However, Chris Boswell was money on his two clean attempts, and Connor Heyward recovered the on sides kick. Corliss Waitman one punt for 38 yards might not look like much, but he pinned the Bengals down. Grade: C

Coaching
Be honest, if someone told you before the game that the Steelers third offensive play from scrimmage would be a pick six you’d have thought that signaled disaster, right?

As it turns out, Arthur Smith’s offense was able to stand toe-to-toe with Joe Burrow and company and come out on the winning side. He opened out the game book and literally got everyone involved the and the results were tremendous.

  • Teryl Austin’s defense didn’t have quite as good of a day.

They gave up a lot of yards and Cincinnati’s final touchdown was far too easy. Still, the defense forced three turnovers and sacked the Bengals into a field goal. And the two three and outs they forced to bookend the first half should not be overlooked.

Cameron Heyward, Cam Heyward, Cam Heyward sack Joe Burrow, Steelers vs Bengals

Cam Heyward sacks Joe Burrow. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The loss to the Browns was disappointing. Losses like that can often be deflating. Mike Tomlin however did not let the happen. The Steelers came out focused and remained that way through to the end. Grade: A-

Unsung Hero Award
The ESPN highlight reels of the Steelers defense will feature T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig and Payton Wilson as they should. But it is no coincidence that those big running plays the Bengals enjoyed happened while this player was on the bench. When he wasn’t on the bench he was sacking Joe Burrow, slamming Chase Brown for a loss at the goal line or just tipping a pass that got intercepted and for that Cam Heyward wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2024 win over the Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

 

 

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Steelers Report Card for Win over Commanders: New Students Shine Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher pleased to see his new students shine, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the win over the Commanders at Northwest Field.

Mike Williams, Steelers vs Commanders

Mike Williams hauls in the TD. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Russell Wilson went 14 of 28 for 195 yards, throwing 3 touchdowns and one interception. That 50/50 completion percentage is accurate – there were times when Wilson threw passes were the wideout had little chance of catching it. His interception was ugly. But through it all Wilson kept a steady hand on the tiller, never blinked and put the Steelers back on top with the game on the line. Grade: B+Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
After three straight 100 yard games, Najee Harris had a rough outing rushing for 53 yards on 21 carries. Jaylen Warren did better, going 66 yards on 14 carries and taking a simple check down pass 26 yards to set up a score. Still, Warren put the ball on the ground at the one. Grade: B-

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth caught 3 passes for 17 yards including a touchdown. Darnell Washington had one catch on one target. MyCole Pruitt missed on his only target. Overall a solid game from the tight ends. Grade: B

Wide Receivers
George Pickens had 5 catches for 91 yards including in incredible Lynn Swann-like catch in the end zone. Calvin Austin had 2 catches for 20 yards including a critical completion that set up Mike Williams lone, 32 yard reception on a play he’d never even practiced. Van Jefferson had 0 catches on two targets. Grade: A-

Offensive Line
Washington’s pass rush sacked 3 times hit Russell Wilson him another 6 times, but none of those sacks came in the 4th quarter when the game was on the line. The run blocking told a similar story. Steelers running backs did have rougher sledding then in previous weeks, but the Steelers ran effectively when they needed to. Grade: C

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward wrecked the Commanders second drive with a sack and then wrecked their drive after Wilson’s interception with another sack. He also batted down Daniels pass on third down. Not bad for a 35 year old. Larry Ogunjobi had a key tackle for a loss early in the game, and Keenau Benton stopped Daniels cold when he tried to take off with the ball. Grade: A-

Cam Heyward, Cameron Heyward, Jaden Daniels, Steelers vs Commanders

Cam Heyward sacks Jaden Daniels. Photo Credit: AP, Chaz Palla, via Tribune-Review

Linebackers
It was another quiet day for T.J. Watt. He didn’t have a sack. He didn’t have a tackle or even an assist. All he did was pressure Jayden Daniels into throwing incomplete on third down in his penultimate possession and then deflect a pass on his final possession. Alex Highsmith had another strong game in ways that did not show up on the stat chart. Preston Smith showed his value with a sack and a tackle for an 11 yard loss. Grade: B

Secondary
On the downside, Joey Porter Jr. had a rough game, giving up several big gains and several more penalties. However, James Pierre and Cameron Sutton came up big with passes defensed, and Minkah Fitzpatrick quietly made several big-play saving tackles, including an assist on what ultimately was Washington’s final play. Grade: B

Special Teams
Miles Killebrew’s fake punt pass was right on the money, but James Pierre couldn’t hold on. Ben Skowronek was right on the money with his punt coverage and recovery of a muffed punt. The Steelers did not allow a punt return all day, while Calvin Austin had a nice day returning punts. The Steelers kick returns were average, but Washington almost broke one. Corliss Waitman punted well downing three inside the 3 and Chris Boswell was 4-4 on PATs. Grade: B-

Coaching
Arthur Smith’s offense didn’t have a “breakout game.” It wasn’t “explosive.” It didn’t have a 100 yard rusher or a 100 yard receiver. Its quarterback didn’t break the 200 yard passing mark. It turned the ball over twice in the tail end of the third quarter.

But what Arthur Smith’s offense did was author a consistent performance. It scored a touchdown in each quarter and remained on an even keel until the deploying the victory formation.

  • This game promised to offer an interesting test for Teryl Austin’s defense.

Washington came into the game running the ball well. It scored points. It dominated time of possession. It rarely went 3 and out.

Austin’s offense didn’t dominate Washington. It was nip and tuck at several points. But Austin’s offense bottled up the Commander’s rushing attack made Jayden Daniels look mortal – even without applying the relentless pass rush that made it famous.

Patrick Queen, Austin Ekel, Steelers vs Commanders

Patrick Queen stops Austin Ekel for a loss. Photo Credit: AP, Chaz Palla via Tribune Review.

This was an up-and-down game. Had anyone of a number of critical plays not gone Pittsburgh’s way, the Steelers easily could have lost this. Yet through all of it, the Steelers always kept their focus, mastering the art of playing with urgency while avoiding panic. All of which is to Mike Tomlin’s credit. Grade: B+

Unsung Hero Award
The Steelers run defense has been suspect at times this year. And while there are a lot of reasons for it, some of the blame for those lapses must be shouldered by the inside linebackers. The Commanders like to run the ball, and one player who played a key role in making sure they did not establish the run was Patrick Queen, who led the team in tackles, including two for losses and for that he was the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2024 win over the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium.

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Steelers Report Card for Win vs Jets: Bishop to C7 for Checkmate

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Taken from the grade book glad to see a bishop used to pull off checkmate, there is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2024 Sunday Night home win over the Jets.

Beanie Bishop, Beanie Bishop interception, Steelers vs Jets, Beanie Bishop interception Aaron Rogers, Garrett Williams, Joey Porter Jr.

Beanie Bishop intercepts Aaron Rogers for the 2nd time. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Russell Wilson started off rusty but finished the night going 16 for 29 for 264 yards and a touchdown. In doing so he restored the threat of the deep pass that Pittsburgh’s offense had been sorely missing. Beyond his in-game improvement, Wilson took charge of the offense as if he’d been running it for years decades. Grade: A-steelers, report card, steelers grades, coaching, special teams, unsung heroes, steelers 2018season

Running Back
This was the rushing attack Steelers fans have been waiting for. Najee Harris ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and Jaylen Warren looked like his old self for the first time this year running for 44 yards on 12 carries. Warren added 2 catches for 15 yards. Grade: B+

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth and 2 catches for 51 yards both of which were moon balls. Darnell Washington had 4 catches for 36 yards and earns the honor of being the first Steeler catch a pass from Russell Wilson. Connor Heyward didn’t get a target, but did work in as a blocker. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers
George Pickens had 5 catches for 111 yards, a touchdown and drew a critical offensive pass interference call that set up his first score. Pickens was going up against one of the NFL’s top corners, and more than held his own. Van Jefferson caught 2 passes for 15 yards, including a touchdown while Calvin Austin had one catch for 36 yards. The Steelers will need more production from their wide outs down the stretch, but this was a good night. Grade: B

Offensive Line
The biggest fear, or at least one of the biggest fears, about starting Russell Wilson over Justin Field was that it would be unable to protect a less mobile Wilson. That did not come to pass as Wilson was only sacked once and hit 5 times per ESPN’s stats. The running backs arguably enjoyed their best outing of the season. Grade: B

Defensive Line
Larry Ogunjobi got the first and only sack of the night, but the real star of the defense was Keeanu Benton who batted down two passes on the Jets final drive. Cam Heyward was solid. Grade: B+

Linebackers
Credit the New York Jets for managing to keep T.J. Watt away from Aaron Rogers. (Watt made his impact felt in other ways.) Payton Wilson was all over the field and Patrick Queen continues to contribute a little more every week. The linebackers do bear responsibility for Breece Hall get away. Grade: B+

Secondary
You think Aaron Rodgers might regret trying to target Beanie Bishop just a little? The Undrafted Rookie Free Agent authored the game’s two most decisive plays, as well as making a key tackle for a loss. With each game DeShon Elliott makes Baltimore, Miami and Detroit’s decision to move on from him all the more puzzling. Joey Porter Jr.’s name wasn’t called much – which is excellent given the quality of the receivers New York has. Finally, James Pierre quietly held down the fort after Donte Jackson went out. Grade: A

Dean Lowry, Steelers vs Jets, Steelers Jets blocked field goal

Dean Lowry blocks a field goal. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

Special Teams
Wow. Danny Smith’s special teams are red hot. If you count Minkah Fitzpatrick’s blocked extra point, they now have four blocked kicks in three weeks. But this unit’s excellence went beyond Fitzpatrick and Dean Lowry’s blocks. Chris Boswell continues to be an after thought, and Corliss Waitman landed 3 punts inside the 20. Punt coverage was strong. Grade: A+

Coaching
This was easily the best outing for Arthur Smith’s offense. While it is true that his unit never actually went the length of the field for a touchdown, they didn’t need to, as they converted 4 turnovers into touchdowns.

This unit remains a work in progress – they haven’t been tested against a truly elite, healthy defense. But it is certainly headed in the right direction.

  • Teryl Austin’s defense had an interesting night.

Aaron Rogers began by nickling and diming the Steelers to move down the field and score, and then they scored after Breece Hall took a dump-off pass and burned everyone in Black and Gold. But after that, they did nothing.

The fact that they could do this without major “Splash Plays” from either T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward or Minkah Fitzpatrick speaks to both the quality of the game plan and the other 8 players executing it.

Alex Highsmith, Aaron Rodgers

Alex Highsmith pressures Aaron Rodgers. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

A lot of things in all three phases went right for the Steelers in this game. But a lot of those things could have gone for naught had Russell Wilson faltered. He didn’t. Instead, he was a major asset to the offense and Mike Tomlin gets credit for making the bold decision to start him. Grade: A

Unsung Hero Award
If you look at his stat sheet, it says he made 4 tackles and made 2 quarterback hits. But Alex Highsmith was a force for the Steelers, setting the edge and pressuring Aaron Rodgers throughout the night and for that he wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2024 win over the Jets at Acrisure.

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Steelers Report Card for Win Over Falcons – Sabbatical’s Over Edition

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Taken from the gradebook of a teacher who wonders how his recent sabbaticals will impact him in the coming year, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for 2024 opening day win over the Atlanta Falcons.

George Pickens, Steelers vs Falcons

George Pickens makes a sideline catch. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
In his first start with the franchise, Justin Fields went 17-23-156. He also went 14 for 57 rushing the ball, including several third-down conversions. Most importantly he took care of the ball, which is a big part of the reason why he’s in Pittsburgh and not Chicago. Fields will face stiffer tests, but he had a good day in Atlanta. Grade: BSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Three separate running backs got carries which has not been typical for a Steelers offense for a long time. Najee Harris led the way with 20 carries for and 70 yards. He only average 3.5 yards per carry, but ran strong. Cordarrelle Patterson had 4 carries for 13 yards and generally looked good. With 2 carries for 7 yards and 2 catches for 13 yards Jaylen Warren had an uncharacteristically quiet day. Grade: B

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth led the team with 4 receptions including 27. MyCole Pruitt got into the act with 1 catch for 9 yards helping convert a key third down. Darnell Washington had one catch, and Connor Heyward made his presence known with a critical block late in the game. Steelers tight ends need to be a little more productive in the passing game. Grade: B-

Wide Receivers
George Pickens led the unit with 6 catches for 85 yards and frankly should have had 7 for 130 due to two horrendous calls by the officials. Calvin Austin had 1 catch for 7 yards and Van Jefferson had a 1 catch for one year. Pickens showed he’s a legit number 1 wide receiver but someone else needs to step up. Grade: B-

Offensive Line
The offensive line that took the field was missing two if not three projected starters from as recently as 3 weeks ago. That added question marks to a unit that had looked shaky during preseason. Against Atlanta, the Steelers offensive line turned in a solid performance. Run blocking was OK as so was the pass protection. Would Russell Wilson have had enough pass protection had he been healthy? We’ll never know, but today that’s an academic question. Grade: C

Defensive Line
On the negative side the Falcons averaged 4.5 yards per carry. On the positive side they only topped out at 86 yards total rushing offense showing they never got into rhythm. Cam Heyward led with 4 tackles an should have had at least half of the sack that Montravius Adams got credited with. And Larry Ogunjobi‘s pressure directly contributed to Kirk Cousins game ending interception. Grade: B

Linebackers
T.J. Watt had two strips sacks taken away by penalty and he was still the most dominant defender, recovering one fumble, notching the sack that ended the game and generally making life miserable for all members of the Falcons backfield. Alex Highsmith deflected a pass, and while Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts has strong games, rookie Peyton Wilson led the inside linebackers in tackles. Grade: A+

Secondary
Donte Jackson’s interception ended any chance of a Falcons comeback and DeShon Elliott helped put Pittsburgh ahead with first quarter interceptions. Minkah Fitzpatrick was all over the field and Joey Porter Jr.’s name was seldom heard in a good way. Rookie Beanie Bishop played well but his blown coverage on the touchdown drops the grade. Grade: A-

Special Team
Cameron Johnston reminded Steelers fans of what it is like to have a booming punting. It was nice while it lasted. Calvin Austin looked good as a punt returner and the punt coverage solid.

Not only did he go 6-6 on field goal attempts, he hit them from 57, 51, 44, 56, 40, 25. And he didn’t stop there as Boswell also ripped of an impressive punt when call upon to do so in an emergency.

Coaching
In his first outing as offensive coordinator Arthur Smith delivered a mixed bag. His offense didn’t sniff the end zone making the game far closer than it should have been. However, for the first time in several seasons, the Steelers offense showed some rhythm. That helped them dominate did dominate time of possession, which clearly worked in their favor.

  • The Falcons offense started a little too fast for comfort against Teryl Austin’s defense.

However, this fact has already been forgotten because Austin’s defense went into bend but don’t break mode when the Falcons reached the Red Zone. During the second half simply shifted into don’t break mode limiting Atlanta to 31 yards of total offense or 11 more than Jaylen Warren’s combined yardage total on what was a slow day for him.

Scotty Miller, Chris Boswell, Steelers vs Falcons

Scotty Miller doing emergency holding duties. Photo Credit: Jefferson City News Tribune.

This was Mike Tomlin’s 18th season opener and the Steelers arguably delivered their best opening day performance since 2016. Tomlin’s team showed up ready to play and able to create opportunities for themselves. Grade: A-

Unsung Hero
He entered the game as one of the Steelers “no name wide receivers.” Had the Brandon Aiyuk trade gone through it would have likely cost him his roster spot. But he made a big difference for the Steelers in the win over Atlanta. As soon as Chris Boswell made his first regular season NFL punt he streaked down the field to make a tackle and a few plays later he was place holding for Boswell as he kicked the clinching field goal and for that Scotty Miller is the Unsung Hero of the Steelers win over the Falcons.

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Steelers Report Card for Win Over Titans: No Helmet Required Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher who is wondering if helmets should be optional here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the Thursday Night Football win over the Titans at Acrisure.

T.J. Watt, Steelers vs Titans, T.J. Watt sack Will Levis no helmet

No helmet? No problem for T.J. Watt. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Steelers.com

Quarterbacks
Kenny Pickett is unlike any previous Steelers quarterback. He started sharp. He followed that up by missing throws that Duck Hodges would have made. But he improved as the game progressed an authored a 4th quarter worthy of his predecessor. His 19-30-160 for one touchdown fail to impress the Fantasy Football owners, but they were good enough to win. Grade: BSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
THIS is the running game we’ve been waiting to see. Jaylen Warren exploded for 88 yards on 22 carries he set up a score with a 22 yard burst in the 4th quarter but ripped off runs of 15 and 14 yards. Najee Harris had a strong night too going 69 yards on 16 carries, including a run of 25 yards and another 10 yarder for a touchdown. The duo caught 5 passes through the air. Grade: A-

Tight Ends
Connor Heyward had 2 catches for 16 yards. Darnell Washington got his first reception and although it was for a mere 7 yards, it sustained a scoring drive. Grade: B-

Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson reminded everyone of why they missed him so dearly. His 7 catches for 90 yards might not be eye popping, but they were difference makers. Allen Robinson and Myles Boykin helped sustain drives with catches. Calvin Austin had one target that, had the ball been delivered well, would have been a touchdown. He had two reveses for positive yards. George Pickens stat line of the night is 2 passes for negative 1 yards. Had he been focused on getting his feet in bounds that line would read 3 passes for 11 yards and a touchdown. Grade: B-

Offensive Line
Was Broderick Jones the shot in the arm this offensive line needed. Most of the focus has been on the improved quality of the run blocking which was self-evident on several plays. But Kenny Pickett wasn’t sacked the entire night and only hit 2 times during the entire game. The line must sustain this improvement, but against the Titans they were an asset. Grade: B

Defensive Line
Cameron Heyward made his presence known on the very first play and later snuffed out a screen on third down and he was the third leading tackler. Larry Ogunjobi was next. Keeanu Benton also saw time extended time. Derrick Henry was continued and it started with the defensive line. Grade: B

Linebackers
T.J. Watt and Markus Golden both had sacks with Alex Highsmith notching two of his own in addition to multiple pressures. Elandon Roberts stepped up and stoned Derrick Henry on 2nd and 5 helping force a punt. Kwon Alexander sealed the game with an interception. Grade: A

Secondary
Yes, Joey Porter Jr. helped shut DeAndre Hopkins down. Yes, the Steelers continued to reduce their yards per pass average. But both Joey Porter and Patrick Peterson were flagged multiple times which helped keep Tennessee in the game. Grade: C-

Special Teams
Chris Boswell was perfect and Pressley Harvin boomed off some excellent punts. Godwin Igwebuike did respectable job of returning kicks as did Calvin Austin on punt returns. The Steelers did give up an overly long kick return. Grade: B-

Coaching
For Teryl Austin it must really feel like he’s in a “One step forward two steps back” situation. He get’s Cam Heyward back, but loses Minkah Fitzpatrick. His inside linebackers start to jell, and he loses Cole Holcomb.

The Steelers defense improved against the run and also against the pass, statistically speaking, and of course delivered with a splash play when the game was on the line.

Matt Canada’s offense was far from perfect. At times it was as frustrating as it has been all year. But the unit started fast, fielded their strongest rushing effort of the season and neither needed to rely on a turnover or a defensive score to ensure that the Steelers had more points on the board than their opponent at the final gun.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone 8 games without having gained more yards than their opponents and, for the first time since the 1930s, have a winning record to show for it. Credit Mike Tomlin for continuing to coax out wins. Grade: B

Mason Cole, Steelers vs Titans, James Daniels, Jeffery Simmons

Mason Cole. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

Unsung Hero Award
The offensive line has been the most disappointing spot on the depth chart this season, and this man has been fingered often as its weakest link. As recently as the loss to the Jaguars, he failed the “Eye Test.” Yet, the Steelers finished their opening drive by scoring a touchdown and it all started with strong play in the center and for that Mason Cole is the Unsung Hero of the win over the Titans.

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