Grades: Four Steelers who earned As wild card weekend
By Tim Weaver
The Pittsburgh Steelers certainly got some help from the Cincinnati Bengals near the end, but they’re advancing on to the next round of the playoffs.
Even with the boneheaded penalties by Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones that set the Steelers up for the game-winning field goal, they had to get big contributions from some of their key guys.
Here are four Pittsburgh players who balled out and earned As on Saturday night.
Ryan Shazier
The best athletes save their strongest performances for the postseason, and it looks like the Steelers have a real winner in linebacker Ryan Shazier.
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Shazier did everything you could possibly ask of a defender and more. He led the team with 13 total tackles, defended two passes, and recorded two tackles for a loss.
It’s not just making great plays that count, it’s when you make them. Shazier’s forced fumble on Jeremy Hill late in the game saved Pittsburgh’s season from ending prematurely. That’s the definition of clutch, and you can’t put a price on it.