With the Steelers just squeaking out a win, here are the winners and losers from the team’s 29-27 victory over the Bears.
The Steelers have posted multiple ugly wins over the past few weeks, but none compare to the Week 9 game against the Bears. The team started off hot and consistent but faded horribly down the stretch. It’s rare to see more losers than winners in a victory, but that is the unfortunate point that we are at with this team. That all said, a win is a win, and the team now boasts a 5-3 record. Here are the winners and losers from the Steelers’ victory over the Bears.
Steelers loser: Ray-Ray McCloud
Ray-Ray McCloud shouldn’t be counted on heavily to do much on offense. While he can play out of the slot, he is a return man first and foremost. Any plays you get out of him when he is playing for the offense is a bonus. While he is a good return man, he has had two ugly fumbles in the past two games. Sure, he is looking to make a big play, but it can’t come at the cost of setting the Steelers back.
His fumble this week came late in the game while the team still had a comfortable lead. The fumble led directly to a Bears score, and suddenly the game was close. You can’t do that, especially when you already have a comfortable lead. With this being his second consecutive fumble, one has to wonder about his job. Anthony McFarland and Steven Sims can serve as return men while Anthony Miller and Chase Claypool can play out of the slot. McCloud may be out of a job sooner than later.
Steelers winner: The Edge rushers
With the Steelers trading Melvin Ingram for a late-round pick at the trade deadline, there was a lot of talk about how the edge rushers would respond. Suddenly, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith would have to play the majority of snaps and Taco Charlton would be the primary backup. If the group showed anything this week, it’s that they have two starters that deserve to be playing most of the defensive snaps.
Watt was his usual dominant self, posting three sacks and just generally disrupting the offense. Highsmith didn’t have any gaudy numbers to point to, but his quick get-off the edge allowed him to regularly beat his tackle. Both were dominant, and while Highsmith’s personal stats don’t look amazing halfway through the year, his tape has been extremely impressive.
Even Charlton looked fine as a reserve and rotational edge rusher. While having Ingram was a benefit to the depth and versatility of the team, he wasn’t needed as long as the starters stay healthy. That is a big if, as if either Watt or Highsmith goes down, it won’t be good. That said, when everyone is healthy, this room is as good as any in the league.
Steelers loser: the offensive line
This is truly one of those “not mad, just disappointed” scenarios for this group. There had been some serious growth from this group in both run and pass blocking, and it seemed as though this group was going to be able to patch together a respectable year. After this game against the Bears, that can’t be said with certainty.
Najee Harris only averaged a pedestrian 2.8 yards per carry which signify that the line failed to truly get a push on running plays. This group also gave up four sacks despite the Bears being down Khalil Mack. While Robert Quinn is a fine edge rusher, Bilal Nichols and Cassius Marsh aren’t. The line struggled against some inferior competition.
The only potential change we can see as well is inserting Zach Banner into the lineup over Chukwuma Okorafor. Okorafor hasn’t been great, but he also wasn’t the worst part of this group against the Bears. This line needs to get back on track and soon. Even if it’s just opening holes for Harris, that should be enough to keep the offense moving forward.
Steelers winner: Pat Freiermuth
Pat Freiermuth has steadily been on this list all year. The rookie tight end has quickly grown into a starter for the team and has now established a healthy rapport with Ben Roethlisberger. He is being counted on as a safety valve for the offense and is a big and physical receiver that can make almost any catch. While not an athletic freak, Freiermuth excels in almost every other area as a tight end.
This was once again on display this week, as Freiermuth put up 43 receiving yards and found the end zone twice. While he never made a huge play in terms of receiving yardage, he was consistently exploiting the Bears’ defense and finding a soft spot in coverage. He was key in this offense moving forward even when they began to stall in the second half.
Moving forward, there should be little question as to which tight end should see the most snaps. Instead, the question should be how many snaps can the Steelers get Freiermuth? The rookie is playing lights out, and while Harris has been the bigger producer, one could argue that Freiermuth has been the better overall player. The rookie has been clutch so far, and his role with the team should continue to expand.
Steelers loser: Second half football
This game was unfortunately a tale of two halves for the Steelers. The first half was a consistent and steady one, as the offense and defense both played well and held the Bears to three total points. The team failed to make any significant changes at halftime though and were subsequently outscored 24-15 in the second half.
The real issue was the fourth quarter, as the Bears piled on 21 points en route to the almost comeback victory. This wasn’t all a game-planning error, as McCloud fumbled a punt which resulted in a quick Chicago score. That said, the offense stalled, and the defense failed to counter anything that the Bears put together.
This was a game the Steelers should have won and won handily by. Instead, a late-game field goal was the deciding factor despite the fact that the Bears were outscored by 20-6 before the fourth quarter. The second-half Steelers failed to keep up the momentum of the first half, and as a result, it almost ended this game in a loss.
While the Steelers winning this game was needed, it certainly wasn’t done pretty. Despite a great first half, a slower-paced second one, and a miserable fourth quarter nearly resulted in the comeback loss. A win is a win, but the Steelers’ string of victories has certainly given the team a reason to be concerned.