Winners and losers from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts Saturday evening.
WINNERS
T.J. Watt – At least T.J. Watt came to play. The Steelers needed a big game from him and they got one, Watt picking up two first-half sacks. One came on an RPO but knowing how much the Colts love those and how tough they can be to stop, they’re still impact plays. On his first sack, Watt dipped and ripped under rookie right tackle Blake Freeland to take down QB Gardner Minshew II. He’s up to 16 sacks on the year, leading the league entering tomorrow’s slate of games.
Connor Heyward – Heyward had a holding call but he still made a large net impact with his first-half blocked punt that set up a Diontae Johnson TD. It’s back-to-back games Pittsburgh has had a block and its third this season. With an offense forever struggling to score, the Steelers are reliant on splash plays from other units to get the job done. Incredibly, none of these blocks this season and none of their last four have resulted in touchdowns, despite several of them being near the opponent’s goal line when Pittsburgh likes to dial up its rush.
Godwin Igwebuike – Looking for special teamers for this list. It’s that kind of day. Igwebuike had some solid kick returns that gave Pittsburgh field position, not that it really mattered. But he had returns of 34 and 30 yards so credit to him for that as he takes the place of Anthony McFarland Jr.
LOSERS
Mike Tomlin – Tomlin has to top this list. It’s his team that’s dropped three straight. His team that makes mistake after mistake. His team that can’t lock in for the biggest game of the year. His team that falls apart while the Colts, under a first-year head coach, rise to the occasion after falling behind early. His choice to punt instead of trying a 56-yard field goal with Chris Boswell, who is more than capable of hitting it. Instead, he punted, got 22 yards, and the Colts wore the Steelers down on the ensuing drive.
This is his mess. He’ll likely be given the chance to clean it up next season. But it’s fair to question if he should.
Run Defense – By the second half, Pittsburgh’s front seven had waved the white flag. Indianapolis took it to the Steelers in the fourth quarter, running the ball 13 out of 14 plays and flowing downfield before the Steelers finally got a stop in the shadow of their goal line. The Colts were the more physical team overall. Their defense showed it in the first half and their offense showed it close out the game.
Mitch Trubisky – I suppose Trubisky could’ve been worse. But he was far from good. Did nothing to really help this team win. His accuracy was poor, he took a deep shot on 1st down that didn’t have to be taken and was picked (though WR George Pickens didn’t make a good play on the ball). That turnover helped jump-start the Colts’ comeback and eventual domination. He was benched for Mason Rudolph, and if Kenny Pickett can’t play next week, it’s hard to see anyone other than Mason Rudolph getting the nod.
Najee Harris/Running Game – The Steelers can’t win without a running game. And they didn’t get much of it today. Can’t even make the excuse of facing a stout unit like the Patriots’ front seven last week either. Harris ran hard throughout today’s game but his costly fumble in the third quarter is stuff he doesn’t normally do and is something the Steelers certainly can’t afford. It gave the Colts a short field, and they put the ball in the end zone to begin pulling away.
Pittsburgh finished the game averaging 2.8 YPC, the second straight week the Steelers have been held under three yards.
Team Discipline – Sloppy Steelers. Again. Miscommunication on offense and defense. Penalties, so many penalties, especially on the offensive line. Dan Moore, Mason Cole, and James Daniels were all flagged today. The ones that weren’t on them were other significant ones that went cost serious yardage and first downs. Both sides of the ball. Pittsburgh can’t get out of its own way, let alone find a way to beat its opponent. Blowing a 13-0 lead in a must-have game. The Steelers just crumbled.
Pressley Harvin III – Figuring out where to rank it among the Steelers’ ever-expanding list of needs is an exercise for the offseason, one that’s fast approaching. But Pittsburgh needs a new punter. A field-flipper who can bail out an offense showing no signs of getting better. Harvin, clearly, is not that guy. After a decent start to the season, regression has hit him hard, and he was terrible in a closed-roof environment Saturday. He averaged just 40 yards per punt with just one kick inside the 20 and his net was horrendous. This is his last year as the Steelers’ starter.
