4 winners and 4 losers from Steelers 28-24 win vs. Ravens

Winner and Loser: Isaiah Buggs

Despite not dressing last week for the Steelers, Isaiah Buggs saw plenty of starting time today due to an unfortunate injury to Tyson Alualu at nose tackle. Despite Halloween being yesterday, Buggs did his best to imitate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as his rush defense was rather miserable while his pass rush was better than most at the position. For the first time this season, we have both a winner and a loser stem from one player.

Starting with his bad, Buggs really struggled to make an impact as a run defender. His weaknesses in the middle were so exposed that the Ravens could suddenly run the ball right down the Steelers throat. Considering how good the Steelers defense had been against the run, seeing them get carved by simple dive plays was disturbing. Buggs was a big problem in this regard, and he looked like an early loser because of it.

Then, the Ravens began to pass more, and Buggs showed why should keep a hat. He bullied Ravens center Matt Skura and provided consistent pressure on the Ravens. While Alualu was certainly missed, it could be argued that Buggs played better as a blitzer than Alualu has. This bodes well for his future with the team, as he could be a situational pass-rushing nose tackle moving forward. Was it a mix, yes, but Buggs highs and lows earn him a spot as both a winner and a loser.