The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-0 for the first time since 2010 after the team managed a fairly tame 24-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on Sunday.
With the win, the Steelers are now one of two teams in the AFC North that are 2-0. (The other team is the Baltimore Ravens, whom the Steelers won’t meet until Nov. 6.)
Here are the position grades from the Steelers’ Week 2 game against the Bengals.
Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger’s performance wasn’t up to his usual standards, but it still wasn’t bad. He threw two interceptions, but they weren’t entirely his fault. On the first pick, the rainy weather certainly played a role, but that one was on Roethlisberger. However, on his second pick, which went found its way into the hands of Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, Sammie Coates stopped his route short. Roethlisberger threw for 259 yards on 19/37 completed passes. In addition, Roethlisberger targeted three different players for three touchdowns. Grade: B
Running Backs: DeAngelo Williams didn’t rush for 100 yards against the Bengals’ defense, but he did score a touchdown on a receiving play. Rushing-wise, Williams rushed 32 times for 94 yards. Daryl Richardson and Fitzgerald Toussaint were used less against the Bengals than they were against Washington, as each back only rushed once for a combined total of 10 yards. Grade: A-
Wide Receivers: If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Sammie Coates in his two NFL games this year, it’s that he’s not a consistent receiver. Coates will show up with a big play one moment and then drop a crucial ball the next. As for Antonio Brown, he had a rare poor game (which you can credit to a very strong Cincinnati secondary) with a crucial drop. He finished off the day with four catches for only 17 yards. After scoring his first NFL touchdown last week against Washington, Eli Rogers only showed up with one reception for nine yards. Not the best day for the wide receivers. Grade: C
Tight Ends: While the wide receivers struggled, the tight ends thrived. Xavier Grimble recorded his first NFL touchdown in the first quarter off a 20-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger. Jesse James also recorded a touchdown, which came in the third quarter off a nine-yard pass. The only area that needs improvement is in the blocking for the running backs. Grade: A
Offensive Line: The offensive line did a great job protecting Roethlisberger from the pass rush of the Bengals’ defensive line. Roethlisberger was only sacked once, by Will Clarke. Grade: A
Defensive Line: Once again, the Steelers’ defensive line couldn’t get a sack on the opposing quarterback. While all eyes were glued to Bengals QB Andy Dalton, the line couldn’t get to him. Stephon Tuitt led the defensive line in tackles with three and a single assisted tackle. The Steelers need to improve on their lack of pass rush and get to the quarterback next weekend. Grade: B-
Linebackers: Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier owned the linebacking group against the Bengals. Timmons led the entire defense in tackles (6 and 1 assisted) and was followed closely by Shazier (5 tackles and 5 assisted). Like he did against Washington, James Harrison recorded a forced fumble once again. Grade: A-
Defensive Backs: Cornerback Artie Burns got to see plenty of action against the Bengals’ wide receivers. He had a highlight-reel-worthy play against A.J. Green, but Burns also missed coverage on Giovani Bernard’s touchdown. The cornerback is still learning. He’s a rookie.
Cornerback Ross Cockrell was charged with covering Green, one of the league’s top receivers, and Cockrell shut Green down, holding him to just two catches for a paltry 38 yards.
Strong safety Robert Golden had a big game — and probably one of his best in a Steelers’ uniform. He recorded five tackles and three assisted tackles. And cornerback William Gay recorded four tackles. The Steelers’ defensive backs had trouble covering the Bengals receivers on certain plays, but when they got to their red zone coverage, the defensive backs were at their best. Grade: A-
Special Teams: Kicker Chris Boswell keeps proving his worth to the Steelers. Heinz Field isn’t an easy place to kick field goals, especially long ones. And the inclement rain didn’t help. However, Boswell netted his only field goal attempt from 49 yards. He also converted his three extra point attempts. Greg Warren didn’t botch a snap, and Jordan Berry averaged 42.3 yards on eight punts. Grade: A
Coaching: Mike Tomlin didn’t make any super gutsy calls against the Bengals, but he kept his players disciplined and focused. The game was expected to be a slugfest like the AFC Wild Card game back was in January, but the Tomlin-led Steelers kept their cool and kept the game under control. Grade: A-
What’s Next?
The Steelers will face their in-state rivals in Week 3 when they travel east to face the Philadelphia Eagles. The game will take place on Sunday, September 25 and will kick off at 4:25 p.m. EDT.
Image credit: Pittsburgh Steelers
