The Pittsburgh Steelers improved their overall record to 4-1 with a win over the New York Jets on Sunday.
The win allowed Pittsburgh to grab hold of the AFC North in the top position. Behind them are the Baltimore Ravens (3-2), then the Cincinnati Bengals (2-3), and then at the bottom is the Cleveland Browns (0-5).
For what feels like the first time all season, the Steelers didn’t have to deal with too many injuries.
Without further ado, here are the grades for the Steelers in their Week 5 game against the Jets.
Quarterback: For the second week in a row, Ben Roethlisberger had a spectacular performance. After throwing five touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger put up another big game, throwing four touchdowns against the Jets. Roethlisberger also had 380 passing yards and didn’t throw a single interception. Grade: A
Running Backs: Le’Veon Bell did more in the receiving game than he did in the rushing game, but the Steelers will take either. On the ground, Bell rushed 20 times for only 66 yards. In the air, Bell recorded nine receptions for 88 yards. Meanwhile, DeAngelo Williams only had one rushing attempt that didn’t go for anything. Not much production in the run game. Grade: B-
Wide Receivers: Sammie Coates has gone from inconsistent play to consistent play since the start of the season. Against the Jets, Coates led the wide receivers with six receptions for 139 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger. Coates was the only receiver to put up more than 100 yards in the air. However, Antonio Brown did catch another one of Roethlisberger’s touchdowns. Grade: A
Tight Ends: Jesse James has been doing well in the air, and he proved that again Sunday by scoring a touchdown and putting up 43 yards on six receptions. However, James still needs to work on his blocking; that’s where the Steelers miss Heath Miller the most. James can block, but he hasn’t shown it much this season, which has contributed to the low numbers by the running backs. Grade: B+
Offensive Line: The Steelers’ offensive line did much better this week in not allowing the Jets to get to Roethlisberger. The Jets only got to Roethlisberger once, but the offensive line didn’t do much for the running game. Grade: B-
Defensive Line: Pittsburgh is doing much better in its pass rush game, but it’s not coming from the defensive line; all the sacks against Ryan Fitzpatrick came from the linebackers. The Steelers’ defensive line did, however, hold Matt Forte to only 53 yards on 12 rushing attempts. Grade: B
Linebackers: Now there’s the pass rush the Steelers were looking for. They found Jets’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick three times. Anthony Chickillo and Vince Williams each recorded a sack, while Lawrence Timmons and Arthur Moats teamed up on a sack. Williams also led the defense in tackles (8), and he recorded a forced fumble. Williams continues to be a beacon of hope for the Steelers’ defense. Grade: A-
Secondary: The secondary improved against the Jets, holding Fitzpatrick to just one touchdown and only 255 yards in the air. However, the Steelers’ secondary failed to intercept Fitzpatrick, who threw six touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs. Grade: B
Special Teams: Kicker Chris Boswell converted a 47-yard field goal and four extra points. He was perfect for all attempts. Punter Jordan Berry was almost perfect (he fumbled but recovered it), and all three punts were inside the Jets’ 20-yard line. Grade: A-
Coaching: A win is a win for Mike Tomlin and his coaching crew. Tomlin needs to work on his secondary and his running game heading into next week’s game. Tomlin’s goal needs to be getting Bell making big runs and not just two- and three-yard runs. As for the secondary, he needs to make sure they remain consistent. Grade: A-
What’s Next?
The Steelers travel to face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, October 16 at 1 p.m. EDT.
Image credit: Jared Wickerham/AP
