Bleh. Bleh.
Bleh.
WINNERS
Ryan Shazier: I know he wasn’t perfect today, and neither was the defense, but he was about as good as it got. Another interception, his sixth in ten games, and he added in a pass breakup for good measure. When the Steelers got splash plays, #50 was usually in the vicinity.
Chris Boswell: The only source of offense on an otherwise abysmal day. Boswell was 3/3 on his field goals. None particularly challenging but on a day like this, the bar’s been set limbo-low.
Tyson Alualu: You can probably tell I’m already reaching. Alualu looked good in a more limited role. Had one great stack and shed of left tackle Cam Robinson early in the game. The run defense waned but it was really solid through the first three quarters.
Antonio Brown: Usual suspect #1. The only consistent downfield threat. He put up big numbers again, including a 49 yard catch on the game’s first play, finishing with 10 receptions for157 yards.
Le’Veon Bell: Usual suspect #2. Bell was really solid on the ground today, and you have to wonder why they didn’t run the ball more, and he’s as involved in the pass game as he’s been in quite some time. He ran with power, created on his own, and you can’t blame him for today’s loss.
LOSERS
Ben Roethlisberger: Ben was as bad as Ben gets today. Not every of his five interceptions were his fault, the 4th one definitely wasn’t on him at all, but it’s the first time in his career he’s been picked five times. Two of those were returned for touchdowns, only the second time that’s happened, with Ben staring down Brown and when the pass got there, often being off-target.
Steelers were 0-3 in the red zone, which falls largely at Roethlisberger’s feet. It’s fair to wonder if we’ll ever see “old Ben” again.
Todd Haley: But it isn’t all on #7. The fish rots from the head down and Haley didn’t call a great game. The Steelers, while they did get Bell involved in the short passing game, refused to run the ball against a weaker Jaguars’ run defense. Instead, they threw into the teeth of the secondary and got predictably burned for it.
The first INT came out of 13 personnel, Roethlisberger throwing to TE Vance McDonald against top CB Jalen Ramsey. It ended as you would expect, Ramsey wrestling the ball away. The Steelers later threw the ball three times inside the five and on their 3rd and goal call, tried a futile out ‘n up route to Antonio Brown. Incomplete.
Another no good, very bad day.
James Conner: Conner wasn’t the most egregious defender but it looked like he blew a pass protection on Roethlisberger’s first INT. He was in the game early, found no success, and scuttled to the bench for the remainder of the game. Which was fine. Bell deserved the snaps anyway.
Martavis Bryant: Bryant didn’t get a ton to work with here but for some reason, he’s struggling to get YAC. He is the most athletically gifted player on the field but consistently taken down by the easiest of ankle tackles. Five catches for 21 yards is rough.
Bud Dupree: Dupree didn’t do much as a pass rusher, though that’s tough against an offense that doesn’t have to throw the football. That means the run defense has to be extra special and it wasn’t even average. He got blown off the ball by a physical Jacksonville offensive line and seemed to struggle to contain the edge. The Jags rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown.
Artie Burns: Again, not a lot of chances, but Burns struggled to make plays in coverage when he had the chance. Still struggles to separate player from ball and play with the physicality his body type suggests.
