Pittsburgh Steelers: Stock rising/falling after Week 8 win over Browns
Since their abysmal start, the Pittsburgh Steelers have turned themselves around. They now stand at 4-2-1 and atop the AFC north after beating the Browns 33-18.
The Pittsburgh Steelers avenged the tie to their record Sunday when they beat the Browns at Heinz Field. The whole team started slow and the Browns were ahead 6-0 early.
The Steelers turned on the juice in the second quarter and never looked back. They scored 33 points and, up until garbage time, held Cleveland to just 12 points and 162 yards of total offense before the Browns final drive.
The defense has played better as of late but they still have a long way to go. The offense continued to soar as they put up big point totals once again at home.
Steeler stock both went up and down this week, as always. Here is the report for week 8.
James Conner: Stock – Up
Conner put on another clinic against Cleveland with 210 total yards (146 rushing, 66 receiving) and a touchdown on 29 touches. He early out-gained the entire Browns offense who had just 237 yards as a group.
Conner is continuing to take advantage of every opportunity given to him. Each week Le’Veon Bell sits out is another week for James Conner to show that he can handle things.
Conner has it all: he is the hometown kid, went to Pittsburgh University, and was drafted by the hometown team. For him to come out and explode to the numbers he has is simply amazing.
Artie Burns: Stock – Low as possible
Burns is not having the greatest third season, to say the least. He has been toasted, buttered, and ate alive on the outside all season long.
His troubles got worse when Jeremy Fowler tweeted this out Monday morning:
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns was late to a team activity last week, according to sources, with one source saying that activity was a walkthrough. Burns did not play a defensive snap Sunday against Cleveland despite productive moments in practice.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 29, 2018
Artie absolutely needs to have a miracle breakthrough happen and fast. His time seems to be running out in Pittsburgh as they almost surely will not pick up his fifth year option for 2020, making the 2019 season likely his last in Pittsburgh, if not before then.
Offensive/defensive lines: Stock – Up
Both of Pittsburgh’s fronts have performed well all season. The offensive line had their struggles at times but over the last few weeks they have looked their part as one of the best offensive lines in football.
The defensive front is starting to heat up and get pressure which helps the secondary tremendously. Stephon Tuitt has been quiet most of the season but has since turned it up recording 20 combined tackles and two sacks in his last two games.
Tuitt had just 22 combined tackles in the first 5 games of the year. He also failed to record a sack in any of the first five games.
The fronts on both sides of the ball get little credit for the great job they do anchoring their respective sides. Fans often forget about the hogs up front but without them, things break down in a hurry.
Special teams coaching: Stock – Down
Coach Danny Smith has had some bad looks all year as the special teams coach. From penalties to botched rules knowledge, the unit has been very bad.
The last straw was seeing Ryan Switzer let a free kick bounce and the entire unit fail to know it was a live ball. I also did not like seeing Rosie Nix call for a fair catch as an up man as I can only imagine how much confusion that added to the situation.
The Steelers need to tighten up their discipline. This is especially true for special teams as it seems there is always a holding or clipping or illegal shift involved in almost any kick or return they have.
Joe Haden: Stock – Up
Joe Haden has been the lone bright spot in a dark secondary for Pittsburgh. His ability to anchor his side of the field in coverage is the only thing keeping this secondary from completely falling apart.
Haden had an interception this week against his former team and flirted with two. He has played very well all season including week six against Cincinnati where he seemingly deflected everything and held AJ Green in check when he was guarding him.
Joe Haden will be paramount in developing the young guys in the Pittsburgh DB room. His experience and leadership can help boost the confidence of the current roster and help them perform as a unit.
dark. Next. AFC North PR: Steelers claim king
The Steelers have their third division game in a row this Sunday as they battle Baltimore on the road. Many other Steelers will look to improve their stock in the rematch after losing 26-14 at home in week 4.