Week 3: Steelers Winners and Losers

Yinzers have plenty to smile about after that week 3 victory over the Raiders. The Steelers are currently on top of the AFC North and are looking down the barrel at the Houston Texans this weekend. Before we look at week 4, let's take a look at some of the winners and losers from the big win Sunday night!

Winners

OC Matt Canada

While he is not exactly off the hot seat, he at least answered the questions about whether or not he could put together a competent gameplan. There were several play designs that were different from what I’ve seen in the previous few games. We are very critical of Matt Canada when it looks bad, and oh boy has it looked bad. However, credit must be given where it’s due. He was able to take advantage of Kenny Pickett’s mobility and help out a struggling offensive line by utilizing rollouts. After saying last season that he wasn’t sure where Calvin Austin ‘fits into the offense,’ it seems as though he has figured it out. There is no doubt that this offense has a long way to go, but as they trend upward each week, I look forward to seeing if he can keep this momentum moving forward. 

WR Calvin Austin III

After spending his rookie season on the IR, Calvin Austin III is starting to make a name for himself in the black and gold. He has been a really solid kick/punt returner to this point in the season and appears to be the best returner I’ve seen on the Steelers since Antonio Brown. Sunday night he was able to haul in his first career touchdown on a really nice ball from Kenny Pickett. He was able to show off his 4.3 speed as he absolutely torched the Raiders’ defense for 72 yards. Really great night for him and I can’t wait to see what other tricks he has in store this season. 

Entire Offensive Line

As I pointed out in last week’s preview, the Raiders are not a good defense against the run. However, the offensive line still deserves a lot of credit for how they looked as a unit. The holes for Najee were there and Kenny Pickett was having a lot more success getting through his reads. Isaac Seomalu deserves a special shout out because he was a machine on Sunday night. I hope the line can continue to build on this success (even if it was just the Raiders).

Honorable Mentions: QB Kenny Pickett, OLB TJ Watt, DT Keeanu Benton, MLB Cole Holcomb

Losers

CB Levi Wallace

This might feel strange based on the box score alone as Levi Wallace finished the night with two interceptions, but he was not good Sunday night. Devante Adams was feasting on him all game, finishing with 13 catches for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Raiders knew it too, consistently motioning Adams to Wallace’s side. Wallace didn’t exactly have a great game against Amari Cooper and the Browns either, not what you want when you have a very talented young rookie vying for your job. I would look to see Joey Porter Jr.’s snap count tick upwards moving forward. Sometimes the ball finds you and it’s more indicative of bad quarterback play than great corner play. That’s what I saw Sunday Night (thanks Jimmy G.)

RB Najee Harris

It’s starting to feel like the elephant in the room, but Jaylen Warren is legit and every time he’s called upon, he answers. Najee finished with 64 yards on 19 carries against a Raiders team that should have been an easy get right game. As I noted earlier, the O-line was not the problem in this game. He looks slow to me, and Jaylen looks explosive. It seems like Warren might be a better scheme fit for Canada’s offense right now. Najee is still an ultra-talented freak of nature, but for a struggling offense it would be prudent to feed the hot hand.