The Pittsburgh Steelers capped off a solid regular season Sunday night by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals to capture the AFC North crown and earn the right to host a playoff game on Saturday.
There was a lot to like about the Steelers performance and some things not to like as well.
With that being said, here’s a look at how the Steelers graded out in my weekly Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card.
Quarterback- Ben Roethlisberger was not feeling very well, but still managed to throw for 317 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was also very effective in the two-minute drill before halftime that resulted in a field goal, which proved to be big. He did throw a pick, his first in four games, which proved costly, but at the end of the day it was another solid all-around performance. Grade: B+
Running Backs- Le’Veon Bell was held to 20 yards on eight carries before leaving with an injured right knee. He did make an impact in the passing game, hauling in six passes for 80 yards on the night. After his injury, Josh Harris and Dri Archer combined to gain six yards on six carries. Grade: C
Wide Receivers- Antonio Brown was big again with seven catches and 128 yards to become the first Steelers receiver to lead the league in receptions and receiving yards. He capped the night with a big 63-yard touchdown to all but clinch the division. Martavis Bryant also caught a touchdown pass where he received tremendous blocking from both Heath Miller and Markus Wheaton. Grade: B+
Offensive Line– Cincinnati stacked the box and were committed to not allowing Bell to beat them. It worked as the Steelers struggled to run the ball for the third consecutive week. But while the Steelers couldn’t run the ball, the offensive line had an outstanding night protecting Roethlisberger. Grade: B-
Defensive Line: Cam Heyward had another sack to give him a team-leading 7.5 on the season. But other than that the Bengals gashed the Steelers on the ground. Jeremy Hill had 71 of his 100 yards rushing in the first half. Lucky for the Steelers they had a lead and the Bengals had to all but stop running the ball. Grade: C
Linebackers: Lawrence Timmons had another productive game, with a game-high 11 tackles and Sean Spence and Jason Worilds both sacked Dalton. Overall it was a solid performance. Grade: B
Secondary: If you would have heard that Brice McCain and Antwan Blake would be playmakers in the Steelers secondary in Week 17, you likely wouldn’t think the Steelers would be division champs. They didn’t allow any big plays and the three turnovers that they caused are the reason that the Steelers will be playing at home on Saturday. Grade: A
Special Teams– It has been a long time since the Steelers had a game-changing play on special teams, but Brown delivered that with his first quarter punt return for a touchdown. But Brad Wing uncorked a short punt that led to a touchdown and the fake punt call could have cost the Steelers the division. Grade: B
Coaching- This team was 3-3 and sinking faster than the Titanic, yet turned things around and won their final four games to clinch the division. Todd Haley’s offense was the best in the league and Dick LeBeau’s defense finally started making big plays. Mike Tomlin and his staff deserve a ton of credit. Grade: A
Photo Credit: Associated Press
