Don’t look now, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense is getting hot. They scored a season-high 34 points against the Indianapolis Colts, and are averaging just over 30 points over their last three games.
As we do each week, Joey Bray and I will hand out grades for the previous game’s performances, so let’s get into it.
QB Aaron Rodgers
Jarrett Bailey: Rodgers put up another solid performance against the Colts, finishing the day going 22-of-31 for 235 yards and three touchdowns. This marked his third straight game with
three or more touchdown passes, tying a franchise record held by Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger. He was decisive, he used the entire field, and he protected the ball – you can’t ask for much more than that. Grade: A-
Joey Bray: Rodgers started this game with 11 consecutive completions. This game also marked the first time since December of 2021 that Rodgers has thrown for three or more touchdown passes in three consecutive contests. I was most impressed by how Rodgers moved around the pocket. The Colts’ pass rush is not very good, but Rodgers deserves some credit for the way he was able to maneuver the pocket in this one. You have to be impressed with the way Rodgers performed in this one. Grade: A
RB Jaylen Warren
Jarrett Bailey: Do you know who leads all running backs with at least 25 touches in total EPA over the last three weeks? Did you guess Jaylen Warren because the heading says Jaylen Warren and this is a Steelers site? Great job, you’re correct. Yes, Warren has been the most efficient running back with the ball in his hands for the last three weeks, and he had another career day against the Colts with 188 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. He’s turning into a superstar in real time. Grade: A+
Joey Bray: The Steelers running back is third in the NFL in scrimmage yards at his position, behind only Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. This was the third consecutive game of over 100 scrimmage yards for Warren, who has been the Steelers’ best player this season. As we head into Week 6, Warren is averaging a whopping 5.9 yards per carry, behind only James Cook and Kenneth Walker. Warren’s efficiency this season has simply been out of this world. Grade: A+
Skill group
Jarrett Bailey: It wasn’t the best day for DK Metcalf numbers wise (three catches, 12 yards) but he did have a key block on Jaylen Warren’s long touchdown reception. Germie Bernard also stepped in and caught six passes for 80 yards, while Pat Freiermuth added a pair of touchdowns. Overall, a strong day from the other skill players around Warren. Grade: B
Joey Bray: Jaylen Warren was the best player on the field yesterday. Pat Freiermuth had a great game in which he scored a pair of touchdowns, moving him into a tie for the most receiving touchdowns by a tight end this season. Those performances alone carry this grade. The receiver room was lackluster, but was without Michael Pittman Jr., as well as Roman Wilson and Ben Skrownek who left with injuries in the first half. Germie Bernard led all receivers in yards and catches. Despite two early drops, the young receiver looked the part in his first real opportunity in the Steelers offense. With how Warren and Freiermuth played, it’s hard to be that upset with the lackluster receiver room. The Bernard performance was also encouraging, which certainly helps their case. Grade: A
Offensive line
Jarrett Bailey: Aaron Rodgers was the least pressured quarterback in the league in Week 5. After being sacked five times against the Browns, that’s a complete 180 from the unit. Warren’s big day on the ground was also sprung from huge run lanes opened up. Easily the best day the offensive line has had all year, and the best Steelers’ offensive line single week in recent memory. Grade: A+
Joey Bray: This young Steelers offensive line is bound to have some growing pains, as we saw against Cleveland. However, performances like the one they had yesterday against Indianapolis make you confident in the future of their group. Rodgers was only sacked once, and the offensive line gave Rodgers enough time to slowly maneuver through the pocket even when there was pressure. We already discussed just how efficient Warren was with his 6.7 yards per carry in the contest. It was an overall clean game from an offensive line that is starting to trend up. Grade: A+
Secondary
Jarrett Bailey: The secondary still has a good bit to clean up. Jaquan Brisker got beat a couple times, and there still appears to be too many miscommunications that lead to chunk plays. That said, Asante Samuel Jr. had a pair of really nice pass breakups to prevent touchdowns, and it was a much better performance than the one we saw in Week 5. Grade: C+
Joey Bray: You know what? The secondary ended up doing better than I thought given how limited they were this week, although I’m not certain how much credit to give them considering Colts Daniel Jones was incredibly inaccurate throwing the ball down the field. Asante Samuel Jr. posted one of the better games of his Steelers career with four passes defended. This group certainly could use a boost, but looked the part against what was an overall mediocre Colts passing attack. Grade: C
Run defense
Jarrett Bailey: The biggest surprise of the week for me was how good the Steeler’s run defense was without Derrick Harmon. Credit to Yahya Black, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and Gabriel Rubio for stepping up in their increased roles on Sunday, as well as Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton, of course. Jonathan Taylor totaled just 45 yards – that’s a good day at the office. Grade: A
Joey Bray: No Derrick Harmon? No problem. The Steelers seem to have Jonathan Taylor’s number. The star running back amassed just 45 yards on the ground with his 15 carries. The Colts only rushed for 66 yards as a team. After giving up several rushes of over 20 yards last week against Cleveland, this was a resounding response from the run defense. 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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