The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in the exact same spot they did following the first four games which is holding steady at the .500 mark. Did I see any improvements? Any units take a step back? Find out below.
Offense
Current Grade: Incomplete (4 week grade B-)
The Good: Ben Roethlisberger is back which means better numbers for Heath Miller, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. Le’Veon Bell was having a great season until his injury.
The So-So: The offensive line is still coming together with the addition of Alejandro Villanuevea. He’s been pretty decent in the run game but his pass protection skills are lacking especially against stunts and twists from defensive linemen and linebackers.
The Bad: Le’Veon Bell – Out for Season, Kelvin Beachum – Out for Season, Ben Roethlisberger – Out 4 Games
Defense
Current Grade: B+ (4 week grade C+)
The Good: After eight weeks of the NFL season only one unit has held New England to under 30 points and that unit was the Steelers. The ‘bend-don’t-break’ defense has surpassed anyone’s expectations especially considering the injuries. They currently rank 20th in total defense but have given up just 18.4 points per game which is good for fifth in the league.
The So-So: Steelers’ cornerback Antwon Blake continues to be an all or nothing player for the Steelers. He’s had two monstrous interceptions yet he continues to give up a lot of yards to receivers he’s covering. The tackling he’s been known for has been suspect all year especially when he goes for the big hit rather than the sure tackle.
The Bad: Injuries to Ryan Shazier, Will Allen and Stephon Tuitt have forced the Steelers to play guys they really didn’t want to play. Granted, the linebacking team of Sean Spence and Vince Williams were solid in Shazier’s absence and Rob Golden has exceeded expectations. But… Cam Thomas has been awful in Tuitt’s place.
Special Teams
Grade: B (4 week grade C+)
The Good: Chris Freaking Boswell. The first-year Steeler has been perfect so far on his eight field goals and all of his PATs as well. Rookie punter Jordan Berry has continued to do a nice job of dropping punts inside the 20 but the punt coverage recently hasn’t been good.
The So-So: Kick Returner Dri Archer has been a non-factor. On Sunday against the Bengals, he had one return which didn’t even make the 10-yard line causing the offense to start deep in their territory. While in previous weeks he had some much more successful returns, he still hasn’t even come close breaking one.
The Bad: I hold my breath every time Antonio Brown receives a punt. I really wish a replacement was found. SO far this season, AB hasn’t been much of a factor returning punts either.
Coaches
Grade: C+ (Week 4 grade C)
The Good: Anytime you go 2-2 with your starting QB on the sidelines you have to give credit to the coaching staff. Kudos also to Keith Butler who has been able to do more than what any of us thought possible with this defense.
The So-So: Steelers’ OC Todd Haley is universally loved or hated so why wouldn’t he be in the ‘So-So’ category? His play-calling and personnel use has been questionable throughout the season but he’s also managed to get a win from Michael Vick.
The Bad: Mike Tomlin is 31-25 over his last 56 games as head coach of the Steelers. In the 56 games prior to that stretch he was 39-17. So what has changed? Personnel? Coaches? Philosophy? The bottom line is that right now Tomlin is still struggling with clock management and doesn’t appear to be putting his best people on the field. That’s a problem in my opinion.
2015 MVP at the Midway point: Cameron Heyward
2015 Most Disappointing Player at the Midway Point: Cortez Allen
