The Pittsburgh Steelers did a complete 180 from their performance in Week 2 and saw their offense come to life against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 30-27 win. As they get ready for the Cleveland Browns on a short week, we give you our Week 3 grades as the Steelers improved to 2-1.
QB Aaron Rodgers
Jarrett Bailey: Rodgers looked as good as he ever has in a Steelers uniform. He finished the week tied for eighth in EPA per play among quarterbacks, and nearly topped 300 yards with three touchdowns. Had a pass not bounced
off Roman Wilson’s hands for an interception, his stat line would have been as close to perfect as it can get. Great bounce back from Rodgers and the offense. Grade: A
Joey Bray: Was it the cleanest game from Aaron Rodgers? No, but it was easily one of the better performances we have ever seen from the veteran quarterback in a Steelers uniform. Again, Rodgers was let down by his receivers, who left a few completions on the field. Despite all of the miscommunications and trouble snapping the ball on time, Rodgers threw for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. This is the type of performance you should be hoping for every week from your 42-year-old quarterback. Grade: A
Offensive Line
Jarrett Bailey: The Steelers had over 400 yards of offense on Sunday, and that was in no small part due to the upgraded play on the offensive line. Brock Hoffman and Max Iheanachor made their respective first starts of the season, and instantly provided more time for Rodgers to throw and opened more lanes for Jaylen Warren to run through. While we can’t expect them to be perfect each week, this was as close to perfection as it gets. Grade: A+
Joey Bray: It cannot be overstated just how much the offensive line play opened up the Steelers offense in Week 3. Rookie first-round pick Max Iheanachor got his first career start at right tackle, while veteran Brock Hoffman took over for Spencer Anderson at right guard. Both played well, and you could see the difference in the offense this week. Both the running and passing game both saw season highs in terms of production while the offense scored 30 points after scoring just 16 points through the first two weeks. While it’s still hard to imagine we see the offense put up 30 points every week, the changes to the offensive line seem to have made a massive impact on the offense. Grade: A+
RB Jaylen Warren
Jarrett Bailey: Warren had a career day, putting up a career-best 176 yards from scrimmage. Had his run of north of 80 yards not been taken away due to a ticky-tack penalty, we could be talking about Warren topping 200 yards on the ground. Keep feeding No. 30. Grade: A
Joey Bray: This was one of the very best games that Jaylen Warren has played in the NFL. Warren averaged 7.5 yards per carry and had an 84-yard run negated due to a holding call. He also should have at least ten more yards and a touchdown to his total if he weren’t caught by the turf monster. The speedy back had to carry the load with the absence of Ric Dowdle, and proved that he deserves a larger slice of the pie even when Dowdle is back healthy. Grade: A+
WR Roman Wilson
Jarrett Bailey: It’s constantly one step forward and another step back for Wilson. He was sprung open for a touchdown on the opening drive, and then had a pass bounce off his hands for an interception later on in the game. Germie Bernard needs more looks. Grade: C+
Joey Bray: Man, I really thought I was going to be able to talk nicely about Roman Wilson after his 38-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the game. However, Wilson is responsible for Rodgers’ interception as the ball bounced right off the hands of the young receiver. Wilson was left on the bench for a good majority of the second half as rookie second-rounder Germie Bernard saw the field more. The inconsistencies of Wilson continue to outshine any bright spot he creates. He continues to be a frustrating player to evaluate. Grade: C
Pass Defense
Jarrett Bailey: I’m not going to crush the Steelers’ secondary. When you face an elite quarterback and two high-caliber receivers, you’re going to give up yards. Burrow was getting the ball out quickly, and both Chase and Higgins had good days picking apart the consistent zone looks from the Steelers. They need to be better as a unit, but it also felt like the plan was to be a bend don’t break defense against an elite passing attack. Grade: C-
Joey Bray: I have a tough time being super hard on the secondary considering they are down two of their best players in Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott. That being said, this was their worst showing of the season. Joe Burrow started the game 14/14 and had a solid game overall. The Bengals, of course, have one of the best receiver duos in the league, which poses its own set of challenges for the Steelers each time they play Cincinnati. It was another zone coverage-heavy game for the defense who was picked apart by an elite quarter and a duo of elite receivers. Grade: D
Special Teams
Jarrett Bailey: Sunday felt like a vintage Steelers win, largely due to their luck and playmaking on special teams. A roughing the kicker call on Cam Johnston extended a drive that led to a DK Metcalf touchdown. A muffed punt was then recovered by Ben Skowronek and set up a Chris Boswell field goal, of which he went 3-for-3 on the day. A great day for the special teams. Grade: A
Joey Bray: After missing a field goal in each of the first two games, Chris Boswell went 3-for-3 on field goals. Cam Johnston appeared to get hit during a punt but bounced back and turned in a solid performance. Kaden Wetjen has yet to make any impact plays as a return man, but it could only be a matter of time before he breaks one loose. Grade: A
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
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