The Pittsburgh Steelers faced a tough task heading to Los Angeles with their third-string quarterback, Devlin Hodges, slated to start. The defense took care of business, and the Steelers escaped the victors 24-17.
The Steelers have not been good when traveling to the west coast under Mike Tomlin as they were previously 1-6. The only win came against the Chargers, and they have now added another win to now stand at 2-6 in west coast games with Mike Tomlin.
The field looked a lot like Heinz Field “west” as the stands were littered with terrible towels and black and gold jerseys. The team appreciated the fan support, and it undoubtedly helped jolt the Steelers, specifically the defense, in the Sunday night showdown.
The team performed overall well, and they pitched a shutout for three quarters, even with Artie Burns getting extensive playing time! The defense has been a significant improvement in 2019 from last season and only looks to get better.
Some players saw their stock fall in the game, including one who did not even suit up. There is plenty of good to choose from, though. Here is the stock report for week six.
Devin Bush: stock – up
Bush continued to build on his impressive rookie resume tallying seven total tackles, a pass breakup, an interception, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. His presence on the defense has undoubtedly taken them to another level not seen since Ryan Shazier went down.
Bush now leads all NFL rookies, at the time of this writing, in total tackles, solo tackles, assisted tackles, forced fumbles and is tied for interceptions with two. He continues to show every week why the Steelers gave up a lot to move up and select him tenth overall.
Bush is the lightning the defense had desperately needed at inside linebacker. His presence and performance has taken some pressure off of Vince Williams and allows him to play to his strengths.
If Bush continues on this path, he should be the heavy favorite for defensive rookie of the year. Things look great for his future in the middle of the defense for years to come.
Mark Barron: stock – down
Barron was inactive for the game with a hamstring injury, and that comes at a terrible time for him. He has been inconsistent on the season, and with the defense performing well the last couple weeks with him off the field, he may see a dip in playtime.
Barron was signed as insurance in case the Steelers could not get Bush. When they did, he was viewed as a bonus linebacker with speed and experience that could contribute to coverage for the team.
After six weeks, it has just not gone that way for Barron. His play in coverage has been the focal point of fan frustration after that was the main reason to bring him in.
With Vince Williams back and the Steelers’ new-look dime package with Kam Kelly on the field, Barron will need to produce big-time when healthy to avoid being dropped too far down the depth chart.
Cameron Sutton: stock – up
Sutton has progressed very well between coming to training camp as a rookie in 2018 until now. His progression is something that should excite Steelers fans with the team’s recent track record in defensive back development.
Sutton had a great night in Los Angeles, racking up three pass breakups and the game-sealing interception. He is a versatile corner that can play inside or out and is a stud in coverage in his second year.
His excellent play in coverage is a welcomed addition to Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, and a resurfacing Mike Hilton at corner. If Sutton sustains this improvement, it gives the Steelers something they have searched for, for some time: a competent group of corners.
Javon Hargrave: stock – up
Hargrave did not have a standout game to get his name on this report. His stock is now trending up for something that was out of his hands, the injury to Stephon Tuitt.
Tuitt left the game early with a pectoral injury and did not return. The fear now is that the injury is indeed a torn pectoral that will need surgery and effectively end his season.
The injury comes on the heels of one of Tuitt’s best starts in his career. He has dominated offensive lines every week, and the defensive line will sorely miss that.
In today’s NFL, however, the subpackage defense is king, and Hargrave will be the one to fill in for Tuitt in that package. Hargrave has the tools to produce well in Tuitt’s absence. Hargrave has good pass-rush ability and is a big body to stop the run.
While Tuitt will be sorely missed, Javon Hargrave and even Tyson Alualu should be up to the task to pick up the slack. Hargrave has extra motivation in a contract year to play very well and earn a big pay-day.
Devlin Hodges: stock – up
Hodges made his first career start, on the road, in a west coast game, and came out on top. He, along with Steelers fans all around, will remember that start for some time.
Hodges didn’t try to do too much and took what was given to him. He finished the game 15-for-20 for 132 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Hodges stayed underneath most of the night but was not afraid to air it out.
Unfortunately, one of his deep attempts was intercepted. He overall played a solid game and did enough to get the win.
Hodges will likely surrender the starting spot back to Mason Rudolph after the bye week, but he at least showed he can handle duties as needed. He also may have done enough to get in and take over should Mason Rudolph struggle at any point for the rest of the season.
The Steelers go into their bye week at 2-4 with a sliver of hope still alive for them in a weaker division than most anticipated coming in. If they can rest up and get the offense going, the defense is primed to keep them in every game and possibly win a few for them down the stretch.