Winners and losers from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 35-25 loss to the Green Bay Packers Sunday night.
WINNERS
RB Jaylen Warren
Warren, like usual, who ran well tonight. The offensive line opened things up, especially in the first half when Pittsburgh could lean on its heavy packages featuring OL Spencer Anderson, TE Darnell Washington, and WR Ben Skowronek. Once OG Isaac Seumalo went down with a pec injury and Anderson had to fill in as the starting left guard, that well dried up.
But Warren ran hard in usual fashion. The numbers weren’t overwhelming but efficient against a Packers defense that entered the game as one of the NFL’s best and got healthier with the return of DL Devonte Wyatt.
Run Defense
For most of the game, at least. After getting gashed by the Cincinnati Bengals, the run defense looked much better against power back Josh Jacobs. Especially the d-line at the line of scrimmage. Things wilted once SS DeShon Elliott suffered an ugly-looking knee injury and the defense began to regress versus the run and in communication. Jacobs finished with under 3 yards per carry.
For large parts of the game, the run defense improved and will need to stay that way post-Elliott injury. A big test against the Indianapolis Colts awaits.
K Chris Boswell
For better or worse, Boswell continues to be the Steelers’ most reliable source of offense. He kicked three field goals from 50-plus yards on an Acrisure Stadium field that didn’t look…great. Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus certainly struggled with it. Boswell is almost too good, his consistency and distance often making Mike Tomlin hyper-conservative because he trusts Boswell implicitly.
But Boswell answers every call and the Steelers should give him a blank check this upcoming offseason.
Also, a shoutout to LS Christian Kuntz for a great special teams tackle on the punt coverage team tonight.
WR Roman Wilson
Wilson came up with a key early catch, a 45-yard sideline snag on third down to open the game.
Wilson didn’t catch another pass until the late fourth quarter but his first snag was a big one to build trust with Rodgers in a critical moment. He finished the day finding the end zone for the first time in his NFL career, a late score that was changed from incomplete to touchdown.
Wilson played well against the Cincinnati Bengals and though WR Calvin Austin III returned to eat into Wilson’s role, he made the longest catch of his career to help put points on the board. Not that he’s made a bunch of catches but you get the point.
LOSERS
Steelers’ Secondary
Hard to point to just one player. In play and playing time, CB Darius Slay saw his snap count reduced by some degree tonight. He wasn’t used in the team’s base defense as Jalen Ramsey was kept at cornerback with Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott the safety pairing – until Elliott’s injury. When on the field, Slay struggled to tackle and even on a downfield third down incompletion, he could’ve easily given up the catch to WR Romeo Doubs.
Pittsburgh’s total lack of speed in the secondary has been on display the last two games. TE Tucker Kraft outran everyone on his second touchdown of the night, no one even touching him as he put the Packers up two scores.
CB Brandin Echols missed a tackle on RB Josh Jacobs’ score. FS Juan Thornhill struggled to find the ball while CB Joey Porter Jr. continues to rack up penalties. The only standout here was Ramsey, who played physical and tackled well throughout the night.
The Steelers bet on a veteran secondary being the answer. So far, they’ve been proven terribly wrong.
Refs
While they can’t be the excuse for tonight’s loss, the refs were a mess. Not just in the multiple bad calls made on both sides (though more negatively against Pittsburgh than Green Bay), but they had trouble policing the game that was filled with post-play scrums. Across the NFL on Sunday, the officiating was poor. It finished off that way, too.
Defensive Takeaways
Pittsburgh’s defense continues to sit in a turnover drought. The team’s last takeaway came in the third quarter of Week 4, the Steelers’ Dublin game against the Minnesota Vikings. Meaning, the Steelers have gone 13-straight quarters without a takeaway. Creating those splash plays are crucial to Pittsburgh’s defensive plan and the Steelers have been completely inept at making or finishing them.
Against Green Bay, Pittsburgh hardly had any chances. The Packers carved them up as Jordan Love completed 20 straight passes at one point.
EDFE T.J. Watt
In games like this, the stars need to come out. Watt didn’t. While he receives plenty of attention, Watt wasn’t an impact player while Micah Parsons made plays on the other side. He’s off to one of the quietest starts of his career. Probably the worst since his rookie season. There were few who played well defensively Sunday night, LB Patrick Queen continues missing tackles, but the players who are expected to step up in big moments are just as quiet as everyone else.
OC Arthur Smith/HC Mike Tomlin/DC Teryl Austin
In part, tonight’s game turned against Pittsburgh due to penalties. But it also turned due to injuries. Losing OG Isaac Seumalo and SS DeShon Elliott were weighty not just for their play but the domino effect their absence created.
Usual sixth offensive lineman Spencer Anderson had to fill in for Seumalo, taking away the Steelers’ heavy personnel plan. The loss of Elliott was a blow to the run defense and communication. Both sides of the ball looked shells of themselves after the fact.
That’s where coaching comes in. The ability to overcome those problems on the fly. On both ends, Pittsburgh failed. The coaches will surely point to these injuries as explanations for what went wrong tonight but they can’t be leaned on as excuses. The coaching staff must handle these in-game injuries better and the Steelers looked lost without answers. Pittsburgh was completely outclassed in the second half.
And under Tomlin, the Steelers played an undisciplined game. Penalties early in the first half that forced second-and-long situations. Personal fouls in the second half that gave away a free 15 yards. The wheels simply came off a Pittsburgh team and even in losses, that is rare to see.
