Saturday wasn’t exactly a banner day for the Steelers’ rookie class with Mason McCormick and Beanie Bishop logging some of the worst grades of their career. Of course, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick played 100 percent of the offensive snaps, but both defensive players saw their snaps reduced which has been a recent trend.
This week, we will look at the Steelers’ rookie performances in Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens including snap counts, Pro Football Focus grades, tape analysis and more.
Week 16 – At Baltimore Ravens
C Zach Frazier
Snaps: 60 on offense (100 percent), 0 on special teams
PFF Grades: 67.9 overall, 63.7 pass block, 68.1 run block
Frazier bounced back a little after a couple rough outings. He allowed two pressures but largely kept QB Russell Wilson clean and was solid in the run game against a strong, run-stopping defensive line.
Frazier drove Michael Pierce about five yards off the line of scrimmage on this play. Pierce is a big man, but Frazier caught him turning his body and used that to drive his feet and create a lot of push for Jaylen Warren to run behind.
ILB Payton Wilson
Snaps: 22 on defense (35 percent), 18 on special teams
PFF Grades: 73.0 overall, 53.0 run defense, 76.6 coverage, 31.6 tackling, 69.3 pass rush
Wilson rebounded with a solid game after a tough outing versus the Eagles last week. He missed another tackle, which makes three over the last two weeks, but he was solid in coverage.
This play will also be shown for Bishop below, but it deserves a highlight for Wilson, too. Look as he rushed the passer, turned around and sprinted 50 or more yards the other direction to make the tackle. Wilson has a tremendous motor, and he doesn’t ever give up on plays.
OG Mason McCormick
Snaps: 60 on offense (100 percent), 3 on special teams
PFF Grades: 54.7 overall, 16.6 pass block, 68.3 run block
All good things come to an end, and McCormick’s streak of not allowing a sack in the NFL came to a close. He allowed not just one but two sacks against the Ravens with a career-high five total pressures allowed. McCormick looked like he was turning a corner against the Bengals a few weeks ago, but it’s been a rough last few games for him.
McCormick let Michael Pierce use his momentum against him on this play. Look at the position McCormick’s feet are in when Pierce strikes with both hands to toss him aside. His feet were nearly crossed, which limits all of his power. He needs to keep a nice, wide base to prevent this from happening.
CB Beanie Bishop Jr.
Snaps: 17 on defense (27 percent), 10 on special teams
PFF Grades: 26.1 overall, 51.3 run defense, 26.5 coverage, 18.8 tackling
Even with multiple key injuries in the secondary, Bishop saw his snaps reduced. This has been a trend since Week 14 against the Browns when he played 58 snaps. Unfortunately, it was Bishop’s worst game of the season, according to PFF. His 26.1 overall grade is by far the lowest of his career and the lowest by a Steelers rookie this season. He missed a tackle, which he hadn’t done since Week 4, and he allowed three receptions on four targets for 71 yards.
It seems that the tackling issues have become contagious because Bishop’s best trait all year has been tackling. This was also the second most yards he’s allowed into his coverage all season.
Bishop allowed 49 yards on this play and missed a tackle at the end, though he did a nice job to prevent it from becoming a touchdown, slowing up Ravens WR Zay Flowers long enough for Payton Wilson to sprint the entire way down the field.
