When the Pittsburgh Steelers played on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, Beanie Bishop Jr. had a brutal game. Whether it was allowing huge catches or committing penalties, Bishop’s stock was at a low point. However, he redeemed himself during the Steelers’ latest Sunday night game against the New York Jets. Bishop’s two interceptions off Aaron Rodgers helped change the game for the Steelers. Analyst Dave Helman was stunned that Bishop was able to make the play on that first interception.
“It’s weird to think about now because the Steelers scored 31 unanswered points, but it was 15-6 Jets, looking very much like a sleepy, defensive win for New York,” Helman said Monday on the NFL on FOX podcast. “Davante Adams has a few catches for 30 yards, nothing crazy, but we get the win. Not quite.
“Beanie Bishop picks Rodgers off once on an incredible play in coverage. Rodgers throws the ball down the seam because he’s got a rookie DB with his back to the quarterback, no way this guy makes the play. How many DBs in the league make this play on Aaron Rodgers?”
It was a marvelous play by Bishop. Rodgers likely knew that Bishop had been picked on when the Steelers played the Cowboys and tried to do the same. On that first interception, he did have a decent throwing window. Receiver Garrett Wilson had a step on Bishop, and the throw seemed like the right call.
What Rodgers didn’t count on was Bishop getting his arms out to perfectly cover the window. Helman is actually incorrect when he says Bishop’s back was to Rodgers. Rather, Bishop had his eyes on Rodgers the entire time, flipping his hips perfectly to clog up the throwing lane. It was a fantastic play, with Bishop making up for his previous lapses in primetime.
Bishop couldn’t have made that play at a better time either. Before that interception, Helman is correct that it seemed like everything was going to go the Jets’ way. They had the ball with two minutes remaining in the second quarter, up by nine points. They were also going to get the ball to start the second half. Even if they had put a field goal on the board during that drive, things would have looked grim for the Steelers.
Bishop had other plans. He picked Rodgers off on 2nd and 4 for his first career interception, giving the Steelers the ball at around midfield. With only a little over a minute remaining, the Steelers drove down the field, scoring thanks to a fantastic grab by George Pickens. They were still losing, but they had made the score 15-13.
That proved to be the spark the Steelers needed. From that point on, they didn’t allow the Jets to score. Bishop even recorded a second interception, although that one was more due to poor concentration from the receiver. It was a great day for Bishop, who hadn’t been the strongest part of the Steelers’ defense up to that point.
After the Steelers’ 37-15 win, Bishop even said he wanted Rodgers to sign the balls he intercepted. It was clearly a special moment for him. As an undrafted rookie free agent, Bishop was always going to have to fight to stay in the NFL. Sunday’s game against the Jets will help him do that. Every week might not be pretty for Bishop, but as long as he continues to improve, he should have a future in this league.
