Steelers positional report card in loss against Bills
By Tommy Jaggi
Defensive positional grades:
Defensive line: A
The only reason this group doesn’t get an ‘A+’ this week is that they allowed Devin Singletary and Josh Allen each to rush for 4 yards per carry (though the team managed just 3.4 on the night). However, T.J. Watt and his crew were dominant against the pass. Despite their lone sack, Josh Allen was under constant duress and he managed just 139 passing yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception on the night.
Linebackers: A-
Again, there isn’t much blame to pass around here. Mark Barron and Devin Bush were solid in coverage all night, while Vince Williams and Bush combined for 3 tackles in the backfield. They lost containment against the run at times, but it was an otherwise excellent night for these linebackers.
Secondary: A-
Steven Nelson and Terrell Edmunds didn’t have their best games against the Bills, as Nelson was often targeted and Edmunds allowed a touchdown on a blown coverage. However, it’s hard to be too negative about their play on Sunday night. Nelson had an interception and they held Josh Allen to under 50 percent completion and a 65.3 passer rating.
Next. Steelers winners and losers in loss vs. Buffalo Bills. dark
The Steelers were hoping to see improvement on the offensive side of the ball this week with Hodges making his 4th NFL start. However, against a stingy Buffalo defense, Duck Hodges struggled mightily. With a terrible offense showing behind them, Pittsburgh will have to make improvements fast if they want to hang on to the 6th seed in the AFC this year.