4 positives to take away from Steelers gut-wrenching performance vs Lions
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers played a train-wreck of a game against the Detroit Lions, but here are four positives we can take away from their performance.
In a disastrous game like the one we witnessed on Sunday, it can be hard to come away with encouraging takes that give us hope for the future. Watching the Pittsburgh Steelers close out Week 10 with a tie to the previously 0-8 Detroit Lions is enough to take the wind right out of your sails.
This tie against the league’s worst team is even more disheartening when considering the cost. T.J. Watt will miss some time with a knee/hip injury, while Kevin Dotson, Trai Turner, and Joe Haden all left the game with injuries.
Still, not all hope is lost yet. Here are three positives to take away from the Steelers gut-wrenching performance against the Lions:
Young Steelers defenders show promise
Lost in the shuffle of this sad team performance is the fact that a few young defensive players actually played incredibly well in this contest. Though the run defense was an issue for most of the team, players like James Pierre and Alex Highsmith came up with some big stops near the line of scrimmage.
I thought Pierre played an excellent football game at left cornerback after Joe Haden exited the contest. He would finish with an 87.3 grade, per Pro Football Focus — the highest on the team in Week 10.
In addition, I thought rookie defensive back Tre Norwood had another very solid performance in a part-time role. In the second half alone, he had a key tackle on third down and the biggest pass breakup on the game that prevented the Lions from getting into field goal range in overtime.