Team Grades: Steelers Perform At High Level, Earn Win Over Colts
By Christina Rivers
On Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to get both their offense and defense to work as a solid unit in one of the better overall performances of the 2015 regular season. After a disappointing start on special teams and a wild opening that saw the Indianapolis Colts and Steelers exchange turnovers and field goals, Pittsburgh was able to calm down and put a decent game plan into action. With a 45-10 win, the Steelers move to 7-5 this season ahead of their game against the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals.
Steelers offense flashes brilliance – Grade A
There have been times this season when the Steelers have not come out and performed as expected with the number of talented guys they have on their offensive squad. Against the Colts, Pittsburgh got fired up with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger acting as general, guiding the offense behind an offensive line that had a strong performance in both pass and run blocking. Roethlisberger was throwing strikes most of the night, finishing the night with 24 completions for 364 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
With seven different receivers targeted, the Steelers were able to keep the Colts defense from being able to maintain a double-team on any one player, opening up the field for the run. DeAngelo Williams was able to record 134 of total rushing yards and continues to impress as a smart free agent pickup for Pittsburgh. Antonio Brown had four receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Martavis Bryant finished the night with 114 yards and a touchdown on four receptions with Markus Wheaton adding another touchdown, three receptions for 50 yards. This offense clicked at the right time.
Defense hangs tough for B Grade
On defense, Pittsburgh came out with a few different looks and some personnel packages that appeared to be effective. Utilizing Brandon Boykin for the first time in the defense, the backfield performed at a higher level this week. The combined substitutions gave Pittsburgh the ability to change up coverage that also allowed the defensive line and linebackers more freedom to apply pressure and contain the run. The rotation allowed shared snaps and kept the defense looking less gassed than they have in past games, getting the offense back on the field to put points on the board. There wasn't anything necessarily fancy, but clean playing for the most part kept this team on top of the Colts. The Steelers only allowed the Colts to convert three of 13 third downs and one of two fourth downs, forcing Indianapolis to punt five times.
Special Teams still a 'C' squad
Jacoby Jones has haunted Pittsburgh over the years with his return skills, but against the Colts he was doing it in a Steelers jersey. After two mishandled kick returns, he was sent to the bench. Danny Smith has his hands full with this unit in 2015. They have never quite put all of the pieces together to create an effective response. Chris Boswell, who has been a reliable placekicker, went 3-4 on the night, missing one field goal. Jordan Berry had one punt for a short 37 yards The coverage team allowed 125 yards, something that still needs to be tuned up. Antonio Brown's punt return for 71 yards was only negated by a silly penalty when he jumped in the air and straddled the mat around the goal post - "using the goal post as a prop." The play stood and the penalty was assessed on the ensuing kickoff.
Steelers Coaching – Grade B
Head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff got an earful from fans over the horrible performance against the Seattle Seahawks and made adjustments, not only to personnel, but in defensive packages and offensive sets. It produced much better overall results. By giving the Colts a different look than expected, the Steelers were able to take advantage of Matt Hasselbeck and end his four-game winning streak in place of Andrew Luck. These adjustments may have been long in the making, but the recognition that change was inevitable unless the Steelers were happy to be a mediocre team that had little shot to enter the post-season. There are plenty of things that could be fine-tuned, but the staff did what was necessary to give the players a real opportunity, especially with play calling.
Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a journalist and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied Exercise Physiology and Sports Psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL as well as a published author. Her work can be found on
Examiner.com.
