After a blowout loss in Week 11 at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers, the Steelers found themselves staring a 5-5 record in the face. Considering what the Cincinnati Bengals did in the first matchup between these two teams, many were worried about a potential collapse.
However, the Steelers’ defense continued its mid-season rise, which led to a 34-12 blowout win to get them to 6-4, so let’s break down the best and worst performances from the game.
S Kyle Dugger
Dugger made a splash play that felt very akin to Minkah Fitzpatrick’s pick-six against the Colts in 2019. Both in their first season with the Steelers, both plays came during a one-score game, and both came in what were both near must-wins. With the Bengals looking to take the lead in a 13-9 game, Joe Flacco threw an interception to Dugger, who then ran it back 74 yards for a touchdown, which all but sealed the win for the Steelers.
CB James Pierre
What a story James Pierre has been. He came in for Darius Slay against the Indianapolis Colts and played very well. He then came in for Slay against the Chargers and broke up two passes before breaking up two more against the Bengals. He also put the exclamation point on the Steelers’ day with a fumble returned for a touchdown. Even when Slay is healthy, the top four corners for Pittsburgh should be Joey Porter, Asante Samuel Jr, Brandin Echols, and Pierre.
RB Kenneth Gainwell
Many of us were yelling at our TVs to get Jaylen Warren on the field (and rightfully so). Then, Warren got hurt, and Kenneth Gainwell took over. He led the Steelers in receptions (7), yards (81), and touchdowns (2) in a great showing.
Offensive Line
The offensive line was awesome in Week 11. Aaron Rodgers had 3.49 seconds to throw on average, which was second in the NFL this week, per Next Gen Stats. Mason Rudolph had 3.11 seconds, which was eighth. The Steelers also topped 100 yards on the ground, including a terrific 34-yard run from Jaylen Warren. Terrific job from the fellas up front.
TE Darnell Washington
Watching Darnell Washington is like watching a tank do the tango. He’s such a behemoth, but also incredibly athletic and a force of nature with the ball in his hands. He finished the game with four catches and 67 yards, and had several plays in which he shoved multiple Bengals off him like he was a mascot playing against children. Turning him into one of the go-to targets in the passing game has been one of the best decisions for the Steelers’ offense.
EDGE Nick Herbig
Herbig is the best edge rusher on the Steelers’ roster right now. He now leads Pittsburgh’s pass rushers in sacks, pressures, and pressure rate, and he registered the team’s only sack on the afternoon.
CB Joey Porter Jr
Per Next Gen Stats, Porter was targeted three times and allowed zero receptions against the Bengals. The Steelers’ secondary as a whole deserves a lot of credit for limiting Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to a combined six catches for 93 yards.
Third-Down Offense
The Steelers entered the game having converted seven third downs in their previous three games combined - they went 7-of-13 on third down against the Bengals. It was a step in the right direction for their offense.
QB Mason Rudolph
Hats off to Rudolph for his performance. He didn’t do anything out of this world, but he came in, led the Steelers to points on his first drive that featured 15 plays and three third-down conversions, and threw a touchdown to put the Bengals away for good. It was also great to hear the crowd’s reception of Rudolph, especially when you remember how he used to be received when he entered games.
HC Mike Tomlin & DC Teryl Austin
The Steelers made the necessary defensive adjustments in Week 11 compared to their Week 7 matchup with the Bengals. Per SumerBrain, the Steelers played the majority of the game in Cover 2 (42.5 percent of defensive snaps). They were also in quarters for 17.5 percent of snaps. Compare that to the Week 7 matchup when they played a ton of Cover 3 and Cover 1, which is what they traditionally play, and why it looked so easy for Joe Flacco. They switched things up this time around, and it worked.
Junior Varsity
WR Calvin Austin
This isn’t to say Austin played poorly in Week 11, but he played just 19 snaps while Roman Wilson played 37. It appears the Steelers are beginning to lean into Wilson being the No. 2.
Jaylen Warren Usage
I know I brought it up already, but there is no reason why Jaylen Warren should be getting fewer snaps than Kenneth Gainwell, which is what happened even before Warren was injured. Warren played 15 snaps before leaving the game - that’s unacceptable and coaching malpractice.
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