At 3-1, things are going pretty well for the Pittsburgh Steelers through the quarter mark of the season.
Though injuries are causing some problems from a depth perspective, some big names are starting to step up and make plays, helping the Steelers round into form of as the team they envisioned all offseason.
According to Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness, four Steelers are on the outlet’s first-quarter All-Pro team.Â
Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is the only Steelers first-team All-Pro through the first quarter of the season while wide receiver DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and kicker Chris Boswell earned second-team All-Pro accolades from PFF.
Since a slow start in Week 1, Heyward has been a dominant force since, continuing to play at an elite level at the age of 36. Heyward earned a first-team spot alongside New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, the pair edging out Cleveland’s Maliek Collins and Carolina’s Derrick Brown.
On the year, Heyward grades out at an 87.3 overall from PFF, including a 79.9 against the run and a 76.5 rushing the passer. After going through a tough training camp in which he was a limited participant while seeking a new contract and eventually agreeing to added incentives, Heyward has just one sack on the season.
However, he has 10 pressures and is starting to come on strong. He has twice batted a pass at the line of scrimmage that turned into interceptions, and he’s playing the run well.
With Metcalf, the Steelers targeted him going early and often in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, and it led to a huge day. Metcalf hauled in five passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, which came on an 80-yard sprint through the heart of the Vikings’ defense.
Metcalf has 15 receptions for 261 yards and three touchdowns in four games. He’s been a yards-after-catch weapon, creating plays out of the quick game with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He holds an overall PFF grade of 79.6. He’s hauled in 15 of 23 targets and is generated 17.4 yards per reception. His average depth of target is just 7.7 yards, but he’s making an impact and has been a big part of the Steelers’ offense through four weeks.
Metcalf found himself behind the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua, Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown as first-team wide receivers. Metcalf was joined by Atlanta’s Drake London and Dallas’ George Pickens as second-team All-Pro receivers in the first quarter.
Another new face who has made his mark is Ramsey, who has stepped into the fold in the secondary and made plays for the Black and Gold. Ramsey has played 258 snaps defensively and holds an overall PFF grade of 77.1.Â
That grade includes a 78.0 coverage grade. On the year, Ramsey has allowed just 12 receptions on 17 targets for 148 yards and one touchdown. In coverage he has one interception and three passes defensed. He had one splash play taken away, too. Last week in Dublin he scooped and scored on an early fumble by Minnesota’s Jordan Mason, but a quirky rule in which Mason was out of bounds while touching the ball nullified the Ramsey touchdown.
Still, Ramsey has been what the Steelers were hoping for as a stabilizing presence in the secondary. Though he had some issues in coverage in Week 2 against Smith-Njigba, Ramsey has been lockdown outside of that one game. Hopefully he doesn’t miss too much time with the hamstring injury.
Then, there’s Boswell. A first-team All-Pro last year, Boswell remains the elite of the elite. He drilled a 60-yard field goal in Week 1 to beat the Jets and is 6-of-7 on the season. His lone miss came in Week 4 on a block by the Vikings after tight end Pat Freiermuth had his hand knocked down on the edge, leading to Isaiah Rodgers getting home for the block.
Outside of the block that was out of his control, Boswell remains clutch for the Steelers. He finds himself behind only Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey at kicker on the PFF first-quarter All-Pro team.
