What a game. The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like a pathetic unit for almost two-thirds of this Week 6 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but something changed in the fourth quarter that propelled the team to victory. It was almost impossible to find winners before the turnaround.
It looked grim for Pittsburgh, but something changed that got this team into the next gear. It wasn't pretty at times, but the Steelers did enough to get their first road win of the season.
Given how competitive the AFC North is looking, this win felt necessary.
Jamel Dean headlines the Pittsburgh Steelers' winners following his revenge game against the Buccaneers
Winner: Jamel Dean
Jamel Dean hasn't been a major difference-maker for the defense up to this point, and his nagging injuries have limited him at times. However, against his old team, he had an amazing revenge game against his former team in Week 6.
He is stout in coverage all game, and his interception late in the game allowed the Steelers to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. That is the reason you pay a veteran like that, and given the drama from the Joey Porter Jr. trade, Dean will likely continue to be a factor this season.
Winner: Run Defense
It was no secret that the Steelers came into this game wanting to stop the run. With an undrafted rookie quarterback at the helm for Tampa Bay, the goal was going to be to rely on Bucky Irving coming off his monster game against the Cowboys.
For back-to-back weeks, the Steelers succeeded in shutting down a top running back. While Irving had a few big plays, he wasn't the difference-maker that the Buccaneers wanted him to be. There are certainly issues on defense, but stopping the run has become a strength.
Winner: Germie Bernard
For two straight weeks, we have seen just what the ceiling for Germie Bernard can be. He isn't a major threat downfield, but he does so much damage underneath and is a talented option with the ball in his hands.
More importantly, he can be a reception hog. We saw that with double-digit catches in this game. There are still some issues. Running backward after getting the fourth down is another negative for the rookie, and it feels like he has at least one mistake per game.
We need to see some bigger plays from him, and he needs to continue playing cleaner, but considering the deficiencies of this offense, Bernard is a perfect fit for this team right now.
Winner: Yahya Black and Keeanu Benton
I feel like both of these younger players flashed this week. Keeanu Benton was constantly quick off the snap and disruptive in the backfield. Early in the game, he felt like a one-man wrecking crew. It didn't amount to any notable stats like a sack, but his presence was felt beyond his stat sheet.
Yahya Black has also stacked good weeks. His run defense is excellent, and he knows how to take up space. His power rushing is also getting better, as evidenced by his sack this week.
He isn't just producing on defense. He is getting his hands up on special teams and impacting kicks. The ceiling remains limited, but Black has developed into a really good piece along their line.
Winner: Nick Herbig
After an extraordinarily quiet start to the season, Nick Herbig came alive this week. Two sacks will always make you look good, but both were critical to the Steelers staying alive in this game. Given his new contract and lack of production so far this season, it was a needed performance for the young edge rusher.
Winner: Jalen Ramsey
As the rest of the team started to fall behind the Buccaneers, Jalen Ramsey remained a stalwart on defense. His tackling remains impressive and is the best trait of his game. The rest of the defense falls apart at times when they need to wrap up, but Ramsey remains a sure option in that regard.
He was solid in coverage and also picked up a pair of sacks. Some of the Steelers' stars faded during this game. Ramsey didn't. The team needs more splash out of Ramsey to justify his price, but he is still a stout defender.
Loser: Mike McCarthy
Considered to be one of the better offensive minds in the NFL, Mike McCarthy once again fielded a pathetic offense for the majority of this game. For over three quarters, the offense was predictable, stale, and unimpactful.
Sure, the offense showed life later in the game, but it doesn't excuse just how ugly it got for the offense. I said last week that the offense would need to adjust long-term, as the short passing frenzy wouldn't last. It didn't this week, and the offense nearly put up a goose egg because of it.
Or how about the genius that was the game plan on the three-yard line after Dean's interception? Two passes allowed the Buccaneers to keep a timeout, and considering how good the running game has been, only one attempt that close to the goal line is bad coaching.
The offense isn't the only issue. The two-minute icing the kicker in the fourth was ugly, and the defense has too many warts considering how highly they are paid. McCarthy has had his moments, but he hasn't been a net positive for the Steelers as of yet.
Loser: Aaron Rodgers
I get it; Aaron Rodgers came alive late in this game. After the fourth quarter started, it felt like Rodgers settled in and made some big plays. He got the win, and that is obviously crucial.
However, this was an ugly game from the veteran. The first three quarters were disgustingly bad. Poor choices, bad pocket presence, and uneven passes limited the offense to just three points. Even after he got into a rhythm, the results weren't tremendous.
Rodgers' veteran leadership helped guide this team to victory. We would be having a different conversation if this game ended in a loss. He is quietly becoming a hindrance to this team.
Loser: Chris Boswell
The Steelers might have a Chris Boswell problem.
For the longest time, the Steelers had a sure thing whenever they needed a field goal. Boswell was effective all over the field, and one could easily argue that he was the best kicker in the NFL. It seems like he has issues after getting a new deal, because he is once again struggling to connect.
His early miss was ugly. I get that the wind wasn't doing him any favors, but that is a kick Boswell needs to make. He has had numerous misses like that as well. He made up for it slightly with a late, long field goal despite a time management issue, but he needs to clean up his overall game.
Loser: The Run Game Plan
I'm giving a special mention to the poor planning in the running back room. Despite Jaylen Warren being a top running back in the NFL for the past few weeks and literally being named offensive player of the week last week, the Steelers welcomed back his running mate, Rico Dowdle, this week.
The logical move was letting Warren, the hot hand, still be the primary back and supplementing with a talented change-of-pace option in Dowdle.
In reality, the team seemed to split their reps almost evenly, and for stretches it felt like the Steelers were relying more on Dowdle. This is insane given how heavily the offense has relied on Warren this year.
You don't want Warren to be on the field for 90 percent of the snaps every week for longevity, but settling back into a rotation that isn't working seemed moronic.
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