It wasn’t pretty, but the Steelers picked up a tough win against an upstart Browns team. The defense showed up in a big way this week, but the offense continued to lag behind. That said, Pittsburgh needed a bounce-back win, and they got just that on Monday.
The winners and losers list is pretty hearty this week, as there was a lot of good and bad to dissect. While getting the win provides some positives to talk about, this is still a team that is lagging and needs to make some changes. Here are the four winners and losers from the Steelers win over the Browns in week two.
Steelers winners:
Larry Ogunjobi
I feel like Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson right now, as I can say FINALLY! Larry Ogunjobi has shown up for the Steelers. Added last year to replace Stephon Tuitt, Ogunjobi has been quiet. His play hasn’t been horrible, but he hasn’t been an impact player either.
He was a force in the middle of the defense last night. While his run defense was hit-and-miss, he showed some quickness and the ability to pressure the quarterback. Add in the sack and fumble recovery and I feel like Ogunjobi is coming off his best game since joining this team.
The non-offensive line rookies
While quiet on the stat sheet, the Steelers rookies all looked good in this game. Joey Porter shined in more action, and while he needs to work on his physicality and hands, he had the best cornerback performance for this team so far this season.
Nick Herbig was a steady rotational presence and was constantly applying pressure off the edge. He seems like the real deal, and I will happily admit I was wrong about him as a prospect if his strong play continues.
Keeanu Benton and Darnell Washington were statistically quiet, but both showed up on tape. Benton was knifing through backfields and taking up space. Washington was a terrific blocker, and while his receiving work has yet to be displayed, he has been a great second option and blocker for this offense.
George Pickens
It was a frustrating week for George Pickens, as his attitude and play left me wanting a lot more. He had the chance to be the top dog this week and he proved he can thrive there. From his ability after the catch to his usual reliable hands, Pickens was the lone bright spot on this offense.
Edge Rushers
The Steelers entire edge depth chart played like the Browns owed them money. The starters made their usual impact and are the only reason Pittsburgh got the win this week with their pair of touchdowns. The backups were steady and kept up the pressure while the starters rested. The overall play was amazing and the key reason this game was a win.
Steelers losers:
Pat Freiermuth
Pat Freiermuth has had a very quiet start to the season, with only two catches for five yards. Not the output you would expect from him. This passing game is struggling, so some of those issues aren’t his fault, but you need your stars to show up every week and he hasn’t so far this season.
Steelers cornerbacks
While Porter had a strong second game, the remainder of the cornerbacks continued to show their issues. Patrick Peterson hasn’t been the quality starter many expected him to be, and Levi Wallace has made a handful of mistakes so far this season. Porter has earned more snaps, and I think this defense needs to get Desmond King active sooner rather than later.
Gunner Olszewski
While a strong offseason ultimately earned Gunner Olszewski a roster spot, he was back at it with his struggles as a player. He decided to field a kick return that was set to head out of bounds and he fumbled the ball and gave Cleveland another chance to score. It was about as bad as it could have gotten for a player that wasn’t used a lot.
Kenny Pickett
Had the Steelers lost this game it would have primarily been due to Kenny Pickett. He has looked like a wreck this season, and his accuracy in particular has been horrible. He needs to clean up passing and soon, as the defense isn’t going to score multiple times a game every week.
A win is a win, but there are still a lot of kinks that this team needs to work out. That said, some strong performances put the Steelers over the edge, and those winners are deserving of some praise this week.