The Pittsburgh Steelers had just lost to one AFC West opponent last week in crushing fashion before coming home to face the Chargers. The team wanted to show up on Sunday night football in front of the home crowd.
For the first half of the game, it looked as though it would be tough to find any falling stock this week. That changed in the second half quickly as they blew a 23-7 halftime lead to lose 33-30.
The Steelers came out in the beginning and scored quickly. The game looked to be headed toward a big Steelers win but the Chargers had different ideas.
While many fans will blame the blown calls from the officiating, the Steelers also did not help themselves whatsoever. The offense stalled in the second half and the defense failed to adjust to the Chargers attack.
The game had two different feels to it and was definitely a tale of two halves. The stock is all over the place but I am here to sort it out.
Ben Roethlisberger: Stock – down
When judging Big Ben’s game just looking at the stat-line, you could believe he had an alright game. He went 29/45 with 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception with an 87.4 passer rating.
At first glance, those numbers don’t look awful. However, if you watched the game, you know that line does not tell how bad of a game he actually had.
The timing of the pick he threw was catastrophic to a promising Steelers drive. They were just outside the redzone amidst a 14 play drive lasting five and a half minutes when it occurred.
The throw itself was not a good one and Derwin James took it back for a lengthy return. The Steelers squandered away an opportunity for at least a shot at three, which was the difference in the game.
Big Ben also missed a wide open Justin Hunter for a touchdown. He left a lot to be desired all game and it played a big role in a devastating loss for the second week in a row.