The Pittsburgh Steelers lost in a heartbreak on Thursday in Cleveland 27-24. After tying the game with just over a minute to play, the Steelers came up just short once again against the Browns on Thursday Night Football.
As always, here is our weekly stock report after the Steelers fell to 2-2 on the season.
Stock Up
WR Roman Wilson
Why not Roman Wilson? After catching a 38-yard touchdown pass last weekend against Cincinnati, Wilson was on the bench for most of the second half after letting a pass bounce off his hands that
resulted in an interception. The Steelers did not shy away from going to Wilson in this one. He took a touch pass 12 yards to the end zone for the game’s first score. Later in the contest, Rodgers found Wilson streaking up the seam for a huge chunk gain of 49. The inconsistencies continue to haunt Wilson, but tonight was a bright spot as Wilson has now scored in consecutive games for Pittsburgh.
TE Darnell Washington
Washington continues to be one of the most impactful players on the Steelers offense. His biggest and most notable play of the night came on his 21-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Washington became the target of choice for Rodgers on the game-tying drive, as he was the target on three straight plays. The defensive pass interference that the tight end drew in the end zone set the Steelers up to eventually tie the game. Washington is a matchup nightmare that continues to see more work in the Steelers offense.
QB Aaron Rodgers
Unc still got it. What a gutsy fourth quarter from the veteran quarterback. The Steelers seemed all but dead and buried down 24-10 well into the fourth quarter, but Aaron Rodgers kept them alive. For as much as his age showed up in the pocket in this game, Rodger rolled out and delivered a strike to Washington in the end zone to kick off the fourth quarter. The veteran quarterback then led another drive downfield and tossed a touchdown on a bootleg to Pat Freiermuth. We have to give some credit to Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy for the playcall on the 2-point conversion after the penalty from Cleveland. Rodgers did not get much of a push from the offensive line, but he found enough room to sneak in. The Steelers do not come back and tie this game if not for Rodgers, who took a serious beating tonight.
Stock Down
Offensive Line
It was just a messy game from the offensive line as a whole. Rodgers was sacked five times in the game and took a serious beating with 10 quarterback hits. Jaylen Warren ran the ball incredibly well once again as he averaged 5.5 yards per carry, so the line does deserve some credit for that. However, Rodgers was pressured and hit a ton, and that really put them in a hole that proved to be too much.
K Chris Boswell
Boswell missed his third field goal of the season in Week 4, as the 48-yard attempt went wide left. It’s nowhere near time to panic or sell your stock in Boswell, but this inconsistency is something to monitor.
Secondary
Joey Porter Jr. was almost certainly watching this game with a smile on his face from his new apartment in Dallas. Deshaun Watson has a 94.0 passer rating to the tune of 268 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers continued to play a lot of zone coverage, which is going to continue to be a hot topic of conversation as opposing quarterbacks carve up the Steelers secondary. Watson did plenty with his legs tonight, but it was obvious that the Steelers’ secondary is in major need of help. Jamel Dean left the game with an ankle injury and did not return, so an already thin secondary could be without their now-top corner. Deshon Elliott is eligible to come off injured reserve as early as needed this week, which should provide a boost, but this secondary needs major help and fast.
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