Make it nine straight wins coming out of a bye week for the Pittsburgh Steelers under head coach Mike Tomlin. Oh, and by the way, make that 27 wins against rookie quarterbacks in Tomlin’s head coaching career.
On top of all that, the Steelers extended their AFC North lead on Sunday after a 23-9 takedown of the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh largely controlled the game, putting together a workmanlike approach to pick up a necessary divisional win.
Against a strong defense, the Steelers did just enough offensively as Aaron Rodgers hit some throws down the field and the run game consistently fell forward. The defense, meanwhile, teed off on a rookie quarterback, confusing Dillon Gabriel with pressure looks and battered him in his first AFC North game.
Now, the Steelers have to flip the switch since they have a short week before another AFC North tilt, this time against the Cincinnati Bengals.
For now, though, let’s get to some grades.
QB — B+
At times in the win over the Browns, I was very concerned with how sloppy Aaron Rodgers looked. He wasn’t sharp, missing some layup throws he typically hits, like one to a wide-open Darnell Washington on a rollout off play-action, and a deep shot to DK Metcalf in which Metcalf was free and clear, but it was underthrown badly.
He was off on some quick-game stuff, too.
But overall, he was good and made the key throws when necessary. His 25-yard strike down the sideline to Metcalf early in the game was a perfect pass, and he later hit Metcalf on a double move for a touchdown. His throw to Connor Heyward on a 12-yard touchdown was outstanding, too, going against his body and putting it on a rope to the backup tight end.
He’d like to have a couple of throws back, but he was good for the Steelers and came up big when necessary. That’s why he was brought to Pittsburgh.
RB — B
A healthy Jaylen Warren is a massive boost for the Steelers. That’s why they extended him before the start of the season. Returning after missing Week 4 in Ireland with a knee injury, Warren showed once again how important he is. He rushed for 52 yards on 11 carries and added two catches for 11 yards.
He was a force on the ground, consistently falling forward. He barreled over defenders and ran extremely hard, setting the tone for the Steelers. He was also great in blitz pickup, standing in and stunning blitzers, giving Rodgers time to work. His block on Alex Wright on Heyward’s 12-yard touchdown was remarkable and was another great example of just how special he is in pass protection.
Kenneth Gainwell had a decent day in relief, turning 12 touches on the afternoon into a total of 36 yards. He rushed for 22 yards and added 14 receiving yards, splitting those 12 touches evenly with six rushes and six receptions.
Rookie Kaleb Johnson had a nice 9-yard gain on a zone run that showed some positive growth. The very next play he picked up the first down with a 3-yard gain. But after that he was bottled up, finishing with just 15 yards on six carries.
WR — B+
Another nice day for DK Metcalf in a Steelers uniform. In his introduction to AFC North football, Metcalf hauled in four passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. His diving 25-yard catch early set the tone. He also had a nice explosive catch and run on an out route to move the chains and then found the end zone on a 25-yard pass from Rodgers.
He would have had an even bigger day had Rodgers hit him when he was wide open after burning new Browns CB Tyson Campbell in the third quarter.
The only other wide receiver to haul in a pass was Roman Wilson, who made 12-yard catch, moving the chains and giving him two receptions on the season. Without Calvin Austin III due to injury, the Steelers leaned heavily on their tight ends.
TE — A-
What a day for Darnell Washington.
After having a dominant game in Dublin as a run blocker in the Steelers’ jumbo package, Washington got some work in the passing game. He opened the game with a 36-yard catch and run after he was wide open off play-action. He finished the game with three receptions for 62 yards five targets. He out-snapped both Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth.
Smith hauled in three passes for 18 yards and also had a 10-yard run. He was a nice option to have on the day, and even aligned at receiver at times, giving the Steelers some versatility. It was nice to see Pat Freiermuth get back into the action a bit, too. He played 21 snaps and hauled in an 11-yard pass.
Hopefully with the matchup against Cincinnati looming Thursday, Freiermuth’s ready for his big performance against the team he happens to torture in his career.
Then, there’s the catch Heyward made for his 12-yard touchdown. Smart football player who Rodgers praises time and time again. Great to see that praise pay off.
OL — B+
Going against a star like Myles Garrett is very difficult for any offensive line. But the Steelers handled him well, limiting him to just two assisted tackles and one pressure. LT Broderick Jones had some struggles at times, but for the most part more than held his own against Garrett and the Browns’ strong defensive line.
The Steelers rushed for 100 yards and controlled the line of scrimmage. It wasn’t always pretty, but Pittsburgh’s starting unit was up to the task and performed well in a difficult battle.
DL — B+
Coming into the matchup there was a lot of talk about Cleveland’s great rushing attack. All the Steelers did was limit Cleveland to just 65 yards on 17 carries. Standout rookie Quinshon Judkins had just 36 yards on 12 carries, and his longest run of the day was 6 yards.
That’s a testament to the likes of Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton and rookie Derrick Harmon. Heyward had just two tackles, but he controlled the point of attack and was able to funnel things to teammates. Benton had just one tackle, but he tied up blocks, keeping his linebackers free and clear to fly around and make plays.
Harmon once again proved how impactful he is, which is what the Steelers expected. Harmon finished with four tackles and recorded a sack in the win. The first-round pick continues to bring real juice to Pittsburgh’s defensive line, and it continues to appear as though the run defense issues in the first two weeks were due — in some part — to his absence.
LB — A
Heck of a day for Steelers linebackers.
On the outside, Nick Herbig had another two-sack performance and continues to prove he’s a legitimate game changer. His first step is lightning quick, and it’s hard for any lineman to block him. He recorded a sack from both sides for the formation, too, which is pretty impressive.
Alex Highsmith had a nice return to the lineup. He had three tackles, half a sack, and two quarterback hits. He was good against the run, too, setting the edge consistently. Then, there was T.J. Watt. Though he was penalized for lining up in the neutral zone twice, those were more on the line judge not doing his job properly rather than Watt being wrong. That’s why he was so angry with the calls.
But he was still impactful. Watt had five tackles, half a sack and batted two passes. When he was left 1-on-1 he was outstanding.
On the inside, Patrick Queen was terrific. Two weeks in a row he’s played great football. Queen had nine tackles and lowered the boom all over the field. He also had a huge pass breakup late in the first half, getting a hand on a ball intended for David Njoku.
Payton Wilson had some good moments with seven tackles and a tackle for loss. When the inside linebackers are flying around making plays, the defense is at its best. Cole Holcomb played well, too, finishing with three tackles. He provided some physicality in limited action.
DB — B
The Browns threw 52 passes and still gained just 221 yards. That’s a heck of a showing for the Steelers defense, even though they got bailed out by some drops and misfires. But things evened out, considering the Steelers dropped a number of interceptions.
Juan Thornhill dropped one against his former team. He was quiet throughout the week and let his play do the talking, finishing with seven tackles. If he had that interception that hit him in the hands, he’d be feeling even better.
It was nice to get Joey Porter Jr. back into the mix. He looked good in the physical matchup, though he was banged up at time throughout it. He also dropped an interception, which would have put the game away much earlier than the Steelers did. Still, when he’s healthy the Steelers are going to be tough to throw on.
Jalen Ramsey was outstanding in this one, recording two sacks, flying home off the edge twice to take down Dillon Gabriel. That’s an underrated aspect of his game. Darius Slay had some good moments, too, before leaving with a shoulder injury. He broke perfectly on a ball late to the flat and should have had an interception.
DeShon Elliott was great once again at safety, leading the Steelers with 12 tackles. He will have a hefty fine coming his way this week though after his hit on a Cleveland WR across the middle. It wasn’t his fault, but it will cost him. But he’ll take that if it means he’s setting the tone physically.
Special Teams — B-
The Steelers’ kick coverage is much, much better as of late. They’ve cleaned up the mistakes and are limiting opponents’ gains. That’s a credit to Danny Smith. It might get harder moving forward though after captain Miles Killebrew’s significant injury Sunday.Â
The signing of UDFA Ke’Shawn Williams to the 53-man roster and his insertion into punt returns was electrifying. Williams had a huge return wiped out by a soft penalty on Jabrill Peppers based on a technicality, but man was it fun to watch. He’s so explosive and shifty with the football in his hands, and that was a great boost for the Steelers. He finished with 30 return yards on three punts.
Corliss Waitman had a rough day, averaging just 42 yards on two punts. One of his punts went just 34 yards after a sloppy snap from Christian Kuntz. That said, Waitman later drew a key penalty on the Browns for running into the punter, extending a drive that ended in a touchdown.
Chris Boswell was 3-for-4 on field goals and would have been 4-for-4 if the field conditions were better. That miss late in the game was all due to the playing surface, not anything Boswell did wrong.
