Not many aspects of Sunday’s matchup were impressive for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh ended the Cleveland Browns losing streak, albeit via a 21-21 tie in week one. Pittsburgh was -5 on turnovers and committed 116 yards of accepted penalties. Ben Roethlisberger and much of the offense looked slow and ill-prepared. The defense continued to showcase a lack of tackling skills astonishing for an NFL defense. However, there were bright spots. Jon Bostic surprised, Mike Hilton and T.J. Watt continued to impress. JuJu Smith-Schuster looked fantastic. Most importantly, James Conner made everyone watching forget about that number 26 guy.
James Conner Impresses Despite Pittsburgh Steelers Tie With Cleveland Browns
With the loss of Ryan Shazier, the defense will not be the same. We know that, and that was shown last year. However, if Pittsburgh wants to contend this year, they will need to find a presence in the middle of the field on defense. We know that Vince Williams has shown improvement, but a major question was the play of Bostic. Bostic, entering his fifth year with his fourth team, made an impact immediately. Bostic recorded a sack, four tackles, and assisted on another five. Most importantly, he was present on many plays and provided stability.
Hilton Starts Out Strong
Hilton has shown before his ability to tackle in open space and cover. This apparently is a rarity for Pittsburgh, and therefore makes Hilton’s ability stand out. Hilton contributed three tackles to the effort Sunday and was excellent in coverage. He was especially useful in picking up the workload after Joe Haden left with a mild hamstring pull. Hilton producing is paramount to secondary success. With Sean Davis continuing to make strides, Hilton contributing will be a huge advantage this year.
Watt Disrupts Passing Game
Up front is Pittsburgh’s strength on defense, and Watt showed exactly why off the edge. Watt brought Tyrod Taylor down in the backfield four times on Sunday. While we saw Watt’s pass rushing skills in his rookie campaign, questions remained. Would he be able to be effective in stopping the run? Would he become stronger in coverage? In addition to his sacks, Watt recorded eight tackles and assisted on an additional three. Yes, he has shown improvement in weak points from last year. He even improved his pass rushing, which will be a cornerstone of the defense this year.
No Sophomore Slump for JuJu
A big question on offense was whether Smith-Schuster would be able to build on a strong first year. Antonio Brown will be Antonio Brown. But if Smith-Schuster can continue to improve, he could become a top-tier number two wide receiver in the NFL. He got off to a very good start on Sunday, picking up 119 yards on five receptions. This included a huge 67-yard reception on Pittsburgh’s first drive of the second half, leading to a touchdown.
Conner Shines in Big Spotlight
The biggest positive takeaway from Sunday was at the running back position. Conner went off on the Browns, rushing for 135 yards on 31 carries and adding two touchdowns. He added another 57 yards on five receptions. Everyone in Pittsburgh wanted to see Conner succeed, and he did. Conner ran hard, and most of the time required more than one defender to bring him down. Without a certain running back, production from the position was a question for Pittsburgh. With Conner, however, the run game did not miss a beat.
Looking Ahead
As mentioned before, there are many concerns with the Steelers heading into week two. Roethlisberger looked out of sync. The team as a whole played sloppy. However, the highlights of week one provide optimism for week two. Pittsburgh will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, fresh off a week one victory. If Pittsburgh can clean up the turnovers and penalties, they will have a chance to win their home opener.
