The Pittsburgh Steelers have tied the Browns 21-21 in their week one showdown. This game comes as a disappointment, but there were some encouraging signs. Here are five things we learned about the Steelers.
James Conner is more than a replacement
James Conner was a star of the game. He ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns. He showed that the Steelers can roll with him until Le’Veon Bell comes back. Conner came to preseason in good shape and showed that he could get into better shape, pass block and replace Le’Veon Bell. He was able to run the ball on the ground and catch out of the backfield.
Flipping TJ Watt and Bud Dupree was a good idea
The Steelers made a bold move with their defense and flipped the two outside linebackers. TJ Watt played on the left side and Bud Dupree played on the right side. I think the original thinking on this move is that the left side needs a more complete linebacker.
Today, showed that TJ Watt rushing from the right side is a mismatch. TJ Watt had three sacks today which makes it one of the better pass rushing performances ever for a Steeler. Bud Dupree also added a sack of his own. The defense was in rhythm and they were the reason the Steelers were able to salvage a tie with five turnovers.
Turnovers an Issue
As I was saying, the Steelers needed a top performance from their defense to salvage a tie in a game where they turned the ball over five times. Ben Roethlisberger threw three interceptions and they also lost two fumbles. I know that it is just the first game and they are coming off a preseason where the first team didn’t play that much, but five turnovers are ridiculous. This is a storyline that should be watched for going forward and the hope is that this is just early season rustiness.
Chuks Playing a Role Already
Chukswoma Okorafor was drafted in the third round and I was surprised that was the position that they went with. It seems to have paid off with Jerald Hawkins getting hurt and Okorafor having a good enough preseason to earn a helmet. Okorafor’s main job is to be ready in case a tackle goes down, but he has another role if an injury doesn’t happen. He is playing the tackle eligible position that Chris Hubbard played last year. They bring him in as a tight end and uses his blocking skill to run the ball. It was a plan that worked well this week.
AB and Ben need to get on the same page
Of the three interceptions that Ben Roethlisberger threw, two of them were miscommunication between Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Denzel Ward did have a great game, but you can expect better from AB. AB did have a key touchdown catch after two penalties brought the Steelers way back in a “goal” set of downs. Ben Roethlisberger had a bad game and the best way he can correct that is to get on page with his best receiver.