The Pittsburgh Steelers were back on the field Sunday to play the New York City Jets in Week 16 of the routine season. After the AFC conference game on Sunday, it is time to see who carried out well, and who left a lot to be desired.
Gamers who play well can be considered ‘Winners’, while those who left plays on the field can be deemed ‘Losers’.
Let’s check in to see who fell on which side of the ledger after Week 16 …
T.J. Watt
Stat Line: 5 tackles/ 2 solo/ 1 Sack/ 1 TFL/ 1 Required Fumble/ 1 Fumble Recovery/ 3 QB Hits
Could think of where this team would lack T.J. Watt? You could go an action further and suggest where the team would be without this dynamic defense, but Watt is the straw which stirs the protective drink. Who is the most impactful protective player? It isn’t Minkah Fitzpatrick, in my opinion, it is Watt. The male is a one-man wrecking crew who deserves the Defensive Gamer of the Year award.
Mason Rudolph
Stat Line: 14/20/ 129 backyards/ 1 TD/ 0 INT
Perhaps it suggested the season when Rudolph came into the video game, showed the same confidence fans saw when he went into the video game in Week 2 after Ben Roethlisberger entrusted to an elbow injury, and got injured in the third quarter. Rudolph might not be the future at the QB position, but he is certainly getting experience required to be a quality backup in the coming years. He played well throughout his quick stint in the game Sunday.
Diontae Johnson
Stat Line: 8 rec./ 81 backyards/ 1 TD
When he was drafted there were draftniks who stated Johnson had some of the exact same qualities of Antonio Brown
Bud Dupree
Stat Line: 7 deals with/ 2 solo/ 1 sack/ 3 TFL/ 1 QB Hit
Congratulations to Bud Dupree for his sack which gave him 10.5 for the season, and his very first time reaching double-digit sacks in his career. Dupree may have priced himself out of Pittsburgh, however his 2019 season was an unique one for the former first round draft pick. He proved much of us, myself consisted of, incorrect with an outstanding season.
Devlin Hodges
Stat Line: 11/17/ 84 yards/ 0 TD/ 2 INT
When it rains, it pours. Hodges followed up his 4 interception video game vs. the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 with two really bad interceptions in Week16 It wasn’t like the Jets’ defense was leading the league in takeaways. In reality, they sported among the worst secondaries in the league, however Hodges tossed the ball twice into triple protection and got burned. He played so poorly you need to wonder if the result would have been different had actually Rudolph not been hurt and Hodges had to go back into the video game.
Anybody who snaps the football
Stat Line: Bungled snaps have been a season-long trend
The botched snaps are ending up being more than a trend. They are ending up being a problem. Mike Tomlin can discuss how Maurkice Pouncey has always had low snaps, but Ben Roethlisberger handles them with ease, however I’m not purchasing that description. When the center/quarterback exchange isn’t constant consistently, it is a problem.
Offensive Line
Stat Line: 4 sacks/ 7 QB Strikes/ 10.5 TFL
I really don’t wish to hear anyone speak about how terrific this offending line is any longer. They are a good system, however fantastic? No way. The 4 sacks were bad, the 7 QB hits gave up were tough, however permitting 10.5 deals with for a loss is downright awkward. I needed to do a double-take when looking at the statistics to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me …
22 Video Game Streak
Stat Line: Unbelievable
Protecting the football is critical, and Mike Tomlin repeats this weekly. The group can’t do it. 22 successive video games with the Steelers turning the ball over in some way. The focus this past year was on taking the ball away. Objective Accomplished. The 2020 objective should be adding ball security to the list.
Steelers Playoff Hopes
Stat Line: Hopes are on life assistance
Fans are now hanging onto the Baltimore Ravens hopefully resting beginners, and other teams to provide support. Ugh …