The Pittsburgh Steelers needed a win this week in the worst way possible. While it was a close game for most of the day, the Steelers pulled away late and got their sixth win of the season.
Though the score tells the story of a blowout, this game didn’t feel like that. The two defensive touchdowns were key, but without them, the margin in this game may have been slim.
A win is a win, though, and Pittsburgh can remain atop the AFC North. Here are the winners and losers from the Steelers' huge win against the Bengals.
Winners and losers from the Pittsburgh Steelers' critical win over the Cincinnati Bengals
Steelers Winner: Darnell Washington
While it was a simple game plan for the mammoth tight end, it proved to be an effective one. He dominated as a blocker and leaked out for some short passes. However, after the catch, we saw a dominant display from the former Georgia Bulldog.
Washington looked as vicious and physical with the ball in his hands on the move as he was a blocker. The team has to find a way to pay this man in the offseason.
Steelers Winner: Planning for Ja’Mar Chase
In their first matchup, Ja’Mar Chase had a historic game and dominated all night long. This week was, thankfully, a very different story. Chase was held in check all game and was mostly a non-factor. The weather certainly helped, but the defense did what it needed to do to shut down one of the league's best receivers.
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Steeler Loser: Jalen Ramsey
While Jalen Ramsey was having his usual strong outing as a safety, his aggression with Chase was costly. Already short in the secondary, getting ejected only made things worse. He hurt the defense by not being on the field.
Steelers Winner: Kyle Duggar
This is a pretty simple one: if you record an interception for a touchdown, you get on the winners' list. While Kyle Duggar’s game wasn’t perfect, and he had another interception go through his hands earlier, he had an impact play that changed the course of this game. He once again reminds the Steelers that they won this trade by a massive margin.
Steelers Loser: DK Metcalf
Though it wasn’t an egregiously bad outing for the star receiver, his impact has continued to be muted in recent weeks. DK Metcalf has also been hit with quite a few penalties. Overall, you need a lot more from your top receiver.
Steelers Winner: Kenneth Gainwell
Jaylen Warren has been the soul of this Steelers offense, but an injury left this team short on running back talent. Kenneth Gainwell did well in his place. He was a better receiver than runner, but two touchdowns and some solid yards after the catch make him an easy winner this week.
Steelers Winner: James Pierre
See above as to why he is on this list. Shoutout to James Pierre, though, as he wasn’t a liability this week despite playing as the starter opposite of Joey Porter. He has had a great season and should continue to see work. Asante who?