Even though the Steelers have not held a losing record since the early portions of the season, they have struggled. One way or another Pittsburgh has been able to win football games that they did not have much business in succeeding at. Matt Canada is finally gone as the offensive coordinator for the club, and that will help plenty of the players on this squad.
The black and gold saw plenty of players struggle to start their campaign. Some of those players are still in the doghouse as they can not find quality reps this year yet. Others who have not been solid to start the season have found different ways to turn their performances around. There are plenty of games left to be played, but these players are starting to show their worth.
Elandon Roberts has thrived as the top linebacker for the Steelers
Many things could have gone wrong after the losses of Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander in back-to-back weeks. Those two starting-caliber linebackers for the defense were quickly lost for the remainder of the season in a quick period. A position that seemed deep with talent quickly turned into a spot on defense that could be considered a weak point.
Elandon Roberts was tasked with stepping up in the top linebacker role on defense. He has done a surprisingly good job thus far. It's not that Roberts wasn't playing well earlier in the season as much as he did not get much playing time before the injuries started to pile up. He is starting to exceed the expectations that were laid out for him when he got the nod.
Mykal Walker also deserves a shoutout as he has been good since joining the Steelers' starting rotation at linebacker. Roberts is still the star of the show as he refuses to miss tackles and makes sure that people know when he hits them. Coverage remains a concern in his game moving forward, but Roberts has been great at filling in for the starting role.