3 winners (and 4 losers) from Steelers' slim loss to the Cowboys

It was a tough loss for the Steelers, who have now dropped two games straight. On paper, they matched up well against the Cowboys, and the game was always close, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to beat Dallas, as Pittsburgh came up short 20-17.

This was a difficult game to grade, as the weather caused the game to be delayed. That said, the same issues plagued this team. The offense was plodding and was saved by the defense and special teams this week. They didn’t do enough to secure the win though. Here are the 3 winners and 4 losers from the loss to the Cowboys.

Steelers' winners:

The edge rushers

The night ended on a somber note with Nick Herbig's injury, but before that, the two were on fire. T.J. Watt was dynamic as usual and was hard to block. Herbig flashed with speed off the edge. They totaled two sacks total between them, and they were huge reasons that Dallas only scored 20 points in this game.

Isaiahh Loudermilk

Another player who directly kept points off the board is Isaiahh Loudermilk. While he never developed into a great backup, he has found some sticking power on defense. He has also used his size to block two field goals, including the one against the Cowboys. A huge play for a team that was struggling.

Joey Porter Jr.

This was a solid bounce-back game for Joey Porter, who was coming off the worst game of his young career. He had a big interception in the fourth quarter and was also clean with penalties. CeeDee Lamb was also limited all day, another testament to his solid day. His tackling needed to be better but I’m thrilled that a young player rebounded like that.

Steelers' losers

Arthur Smith

While the offense has consistently looked better with Arthur Smith as opposed to Matt Canada, the unit has still been lackluster. They have no answers to the lack of a run game and the group remains timid overall. Everyone should have been expecting more from him and this group this season. He also has an affinity for keeping George Pickens on the sidelines despite the passing game not working. I don’t get what the plan is.

Justin Fields

I have been very favorable to Justin Fields early in his Steelers career, but this week wasn't it. While the game plan wasn’t great he also missed a lot of passes and made a lot of poor decisions. No, I don’t think Russell Wilson will make this offense tick, but Fields left a lot of doubt on the field this week.

Steelers' run defense

Dallas was one of the worst rushing offenses in the league this year, and the Steelers boasted one of the best defenses. Instead of stopping the unit cold, Rico Dowdle looked great and carved this defense up. It helped keep Dallas remain in the game and ultimately win. There wasn't a great answer here.

Beanie Bishop

It was another tough day for the rookie slot cornerback. He makes the occasional good play and is a fine tackler, but he was burned in coverage this week and also had too many penalties. There was hope that he would develop faster, but it looks like the team should be looking for other options right now.