Article

Steelers Vs. Bengals Week 12: PFF Grades And Total Snaps

By Clayton Eckert

Posted on November 28, 2023 at 12:00 am

The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to second place in the division with the crucial 16-10 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. The offense looked much better in their first game sans Matt Canada, accomplishing something he never did at the OC helm with a 400-plus game, along with the defense holding the opposition to ten points.

Offense:

Excellent (90-Plus Grades):

The best offensive grade and overall grade was TE Pat Freiermuth. His 93.5 grade, 11 targets, and nine catches top the TE position for Week 12 through the weekend, on 42 snaps. QB Kenny Pickett got Freiermuth involved early and often, compared to 14 targets in the previous five games, and nine catches matching his previous season total. Two explosive catches over the middle (yay!), with this refreshing sight including the first play of the game. 120 receiving yards on nine catches were each career-highs, and a healthy 13.3 yards-per-reception that’s very impressive given the high volume. He also had a few nice RBLK’s in my notes but was one of his lower grades (56.9). Loved how he was utilized on Sunday.

Great (80-Plus Grades):

Pickett (89.0, 71) had his best game of the year, including a season-high 278 passing yards, and impressive feats highlighted eloquently by Alex Kozora in his weekly stats of the weird. Air yardage, accuracy (season-best 72.7 completion rate), and finally utilizing the middle of the field were refreshing. Four explosive pass plays, after none in the previous two games. 6.4 completed air yards were more than double his previous three games. Third-down conversions also sky-rocketed, going 8-of-14 on passes (57.1 percent). On the cusp of Pittsburgh’s history books with another interception-less game, but two sacks, and no TDs is a hope for next week.

Good (70-Plus Grades):

RB Najee Harris (77.5, 38) had a 100-yard game, but a loss-of-one late (draining the clock) landed him just shy (99). This came on 15 carries, an impressive 6.6 average, and bounced a run outside for a five-yard red-zone touchdown. Had two explosive runs, making for six total on offense. Harris showed amazing strength to churn an army of defenders for 20 yards (wow), the other a 22-yarder through a nice lane in the fourth quarter, and followed the latter up with a 13-yard run getting to the edge. The majority of his carries were successful plays (stellar 66.7 percent), including five first-downs, but had no targets and missed a chip in pass-pro leading to a sack (great EDGE Trey Hendrickson, 18.7PBLK).

TE Darnell Washington (76.5, 37) deservingly makes the list, IMO. He littered my notes with strong run-blocking (74.3), by far his best mark of the year (third-best TE pre-Monday Night Football), and great to see the rookie succeed in that role much more consistently in Week 12. Washington also added a ten-yard reception, catching the short target and churning three men to move the chains. Bravo.

The Bad (Below 50 Grades):

Just one player in the tier, encouragingly. The lowest grade on offense was WR Miles Boykin (43.5, eight). He was dinged for offensive pass interference on a screen pass, with half of his snaps coming as a quality run-blocker (60.1), his best individual grade.

Defense:

Excellent (90-Plus Grades):

Two players here. The highest grade on defense was EDGE T.J. Watt (90.7, 39). His two-sack performance puts him back in the 2023 league lead (13.5). One was a huge strip-sack on the first series three-and-out winning through two men, and also provided a tackle-for-loss. Littered my notes with several pass-rush wins, with a team-high seven pressures, four hurries (T-first), had five combined tackles (T-second on team), all going for stops (first). Two were on zone drops, closing quickly for one-and-two-yard tackles, along with run stops of three yards or less. A roughing-the-passer penalty was a scarce blemish in his stellar game.

S Trenton Thompson (90.7, 42) had the Steelers’ lone turnover, a critical third-down interception, undercutting a route in the third quarter that ultimately led to Pittsburgh’s only touchdown (Harris run). The majority of his tackles (five) were, unfortunately, cleaning up big plays allowed, including unlucky bounces off tipped passes that went the Bengals’ way. Thankfully PFF did a great job with his 82.6 TACK grade along with an 85.4 COV (16.7 rating-against), allowing just one catch for five yards, and noted another rep where Thompson provided solid TE coverage. Way to step up sans Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Great (80-Plus Grades):

NONE.

Good (70-Plus Grades):

Four players in this tier. EDGE Alex Highsmith (79.9, 40) was second on the team with four pressures, all hurries (T-team-lead), but no sacks. His pressure was paramount to playmaking from others though, defeating two blockers creating a sack, again on the interception, and coming up big late including the final third-and-two stop. Highsmith also had a good day in run defense, highlighted by a wow shed/pursuit play to make the one-yard stop. 38.7 COV grade though, where he decided to rush on an extended play in drop-coverage, opening the receiver for a 25-yard catch. Great overall day from the EDGE duo though.

LB Elandon Roberts (79.7) played 100 percent of the snaps (43). He led the team with six tackles, including a tackle-for-loss on the Watt FF, a great one-yard run-stop that nearly broke, and a downhill tackle from drop-zone on a four-yard TE catch. Roberts also provided a QB hurry, and each of his grades were 70-plus in another solid outing stepping up as Pittsburgh’s lead LB.

CB Patrick Peterson (74.8, 41) made some critical plays, highlighted by a third-and-two pass-breakup with 2:10 left in the game, leading to Cincinnati’s FG and failed onside-kick that was huge to the Steelers victory. He also had an earlier third-down stop, coming downhill to tackle the short catch, and was in on the one-yard run stop. His 29.3 tackle grade was due to a miss on the unfortunate 39-yard RB screen, though.

DL Cameron Heyward (72.8, 35) was solid, showing up against the run once again, which was a huge accomplishment for Pittsburgh’s defense as a whole (held Cincinnati to 25 rush yards!). He had three run-stops of two yards or less, along with filling lanes nicely for others. Had similar plays as a pass-rusher, including pressure leading to a sack, and got one of his own benefiting from a pressure from Highsmith.

The Bad (Below 50 Grades):

Two players here. CB Chandon Sullivan (44.1, 18) had a rough day, including two missed tackles (25.8 TACK), one of which was a sack opportunity (37.4 PRSH). I also noted him for a poor play in run defense, and his lone tackle on a five-yard RB screen. The lowest grade on defense was EDGE Markus Golden (30.3) on just four snaps. He also had a missed tackle in the passing game on his lone-coverage snap (48.8 COV, 21.7 TACK). Not good Bob.

Special Teams:

Excellent (90-Plus Grades):

NONE.

Great (80-Plus Grades):

NONE.

Good (70-Plus Grades):

Special teams were the weakest link of Pittsburgh’s Week 12 performance, sans the kickers. The highest grade on special teams and overall was Damontae Kazee (71.4, eight), noting a pancake punt return block, playing six snaps on that unit, along with two on the field goal block team.

The Bad (Below 50 Grades):

Four players here, starting with Rodney Williams (49.0, 12), and Nick Herbig (43.3, 18), with the latter tying with Boykin for the most snaps. Thought the latter would have a lower grade (62.8), and James Pierre as well (60.1, 16), with the two failing to locate/down early punts going for touchbacks, and Pierre also blocked to the ground on a punt return. Also noted Sullivan with a poor play in kick coverage.

Mark Robinson (38.5, 17) had a holding penalty that negated a 12-yard punt return along with no tackles. The lowest grade on special teams was Tariq Carpenter (29.3, 13), making a tackle on a 20-yard kick-return, but also held on the team’s second punt-return penalty, both costly in the field position game.

Surprises:

1. Several special teams grades overall (some listed above).

2. EDGE Nick Herbig had just three snaps but made a splash in his limited opportunity once again with one of the team’s four sacks. He was in coverage on third-and-five, darting in late as backup QB Jake Browning couldn’t find anything downfield. One of several instances where Pittsburgh’s pass rush also seemingly benefitted from solid coverage on the back end, going hand-in-hand with their admirable overall performance as a unit. Herbig was on the ground on a rep in run defense but thought his 56.8 DEF and particularly his 70.8 PRSH was too low.

3. OL Dan Moore (63.6, 71). While he did lose a handful of reps including a sack allowed, I thought he held his own very well against a great player in Hendrickson overall, who graded at 54.5. Moore has typically struggled against top-tier edge rushers, but only allowed two pressures, and littered my notes with far more positives in both the run and pass game that deserved more credit IMO.

Who were yours?