3 winners and 3 losers from Steelers 24-19 win vs. Cowboys

Loser: Special Teams

Starting off with the losers (of which, there could be plenty), the Steelers’ special teams’ performance was pitiful. Looking first at the kicking unit, the group wasn’t inherently horrible, but the late game kickoff return for the Cowboys that nearly went to the house was an issue. That wasn’t the only unit that struggled though, as the punt coverage unit was a mess as well. While the Cowboys did employ some trickery on their big return, it was inexcusable that the unit would be in such a bad position to make a play.

Yes, the coverage units were a weak point, but the kicking game itself was also an issue. Chris Boswell missed an early extra point that set the Steelers back. Later on, the Cowboys blocked a crucial extra point attempt. While that was less on the Steelers as a whole, and the block itself may have been illegal, but it was still a weak show as a whole from this unit. Likewise, it limited points, which thankfully weren’t needed this week, but could have been worse for the Steelers had it gone the other way.

Lastly, the return game was nothing special. While the Steelers have struggled in this regard in recent years, this year appeared to be different. Ray-Ray McCloud has provided a lot of spark for this group, but he struggled to do much in his limited opportunities today. That, mixed in with the struggles elsewhere, led to this unit landing on the losers list.