Player: OLB Alex Highsmith
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: OLB Alex Highsmith made an immediate impact in his return from injury. Taking over for Nick Herbig, he had a good day rushing the passer, including a sack. His work also helped keep Jameis Winston in the pocket, which helped the interior pressure.
For as good as Nick Herbig is, the Steelers are still better when they have Alex Highsmith. Because obviously having both of them is better than having one or the other. Regardless of one’s thoughts on the matter, Highsmith proved yesterday that he is still a starter.
This has been a frustrating season for the fifth-year veteran, who has dealt with a series of injuries going back to training camp. But more often than not, he has been able to play at a high level when he is healthy. That included yesterday, his first game back after a three-game absence.
T.J. Watt and Highsmith, in fact, dominated the first drive. The Browns left Watt unblocked on first down, leading to a tackle for a five-yard loss. On second down, Highsmith pressured Jameis Winston into an incompletion. Then he finished the job on 3rd and 15, registering a sack.
Later in the first quarter, the officials did dock Highsmith for a roughing the passer penalty. Whether or not it was the right call, let’s just say you can put it up for debate. His momentum certainly carried him into Winston, but perhaps he could have done more to avoid the extent of the contact.
Highsmith made three other tackles, including one for loss, though one other tackle was negated by an illegal formation penalty on the Browns. It would have set up 3rd and 8, which is what the Browns ended up with after the penalty anyway.
The Steelers hope they can ride their pass rush all the way through the playoffs and keep everyone healthy. They had been playing Watt more than they wanted to due to a limited number of bodies. But now that Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig are both available for the first time since Week 3, that changes their options. Rather, it simply gives them options when they previously didn’t have options. It was play Watt as much as possible and then whoever’s healthy on the other side.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
