DB’s Steelers Dudes & Duds: Russ Cooks with Play Action Game, Jones’ Struggles Continue at RT
DB's Steelers Dudes & Duds: Russell Wilson cooked with play action. Broderick Jones continues to struggle at right tackle.
Maybe Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin knows what he’s doing after all? After a weeks worth of quarterback controversy that led to many doubters from all angles, his squad pulled out a huge 37-15 win against a desperate New York Jets team.
In typical Steelers fashion, things got off to a slow start but you have to applaud the team for how they finished this one, punishing the Jets in the trenches and wearing them out in the end. There were flashes of improvement in the passing game, the defense created a couple more turnovers and Danny Smith’s troops blocked another field goal in this one.
Let’s break down some notable performances from an exciting night at Acrisure Stadium.
Standout: WR George Pickens
It’s been an roller coaster ride of a season so far for the third year wideout but George Pickens was nothing short of excellent tonight. He finished the game with five catches for 111 yards while recording his first touchdown of the season. He made multiple highlight worthy contested catches on underthrown footballs that resulted in big plays and drew a pass interference penalty right before halftime. He was as locked in as I’ve seen him in quite a while, even showing some effort downfield in the blocking department. He’s certainly mercurial but when he’s focused, he’s must-see TV.
Disappointment: RT Broderick Jones
From a live viewing perspective, this performance didn’t feel quite as bad as the rest of the season but it was definitely far from perfect. Jones gave up his sixth sack of the season in just seven games, allowing Jets edge rusher Will McDonald to beat him outside with a clear path to the quarterback. There were at least two more quick losses that resulted in Russell Wilson having to scramble out of the pocket prematurely. Pittsburgh ran the ball well so we’ll see what the tape says in terms of his efforts in that regard. But things are pretty bleak right now for the Georgia product.
Standout: QB Russell Wilson & the Play-Action Passing Game
Earlier this week, I wrote that Russ’ return should have a positive impact on the Steelers previously lackluster play action passing attack and that was fully on display tonight. Wilson went 10/13 for 111 yards and a touchdown off play fakes by pushing the ball vertically and finding the open receivers. Speaking of open receivers, there were plenty of them tonight. The supporting cast had arguably their best game of the season but you have to give some credit to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for some of the concepts that sprung wide open eligibles. Assuming they can stay in positive/neutral game scripts moving forward, the Steelers really should lean into this even more.
Standout: CB Beanie Bishop
Who could have guessed that an undrafted cornerback named Beanie Bishop would pick off Aaron Rodgers twice in primetime? The first interception was a beauty as he contorted his body to the middle of the field to snag a one-handed interception which helped the Steelers score right before the half. Then, he was in the right place at the right time and hauled in another one in the second half after a bobbled pass. There were also a couple technically sound tackles made in space on the Jets playmakers. Hopefully this will be a sign of things to come.
Disappointment: First Half Tackling
Pittsburgh’s bend but don’t break mantra have served them well so far this season. In 2024, they’ve been playing more zone coverage and rarely blitzing additional rushers and one of the reasons why that’s been pretty successful is because they’ve tackled well after the catch. Things got better as the game wore on but the first half was an ugly display to say the least. Breece Hall nearly took a check down to the house after Elandon Roberts and Donte Jackson both missed tackles. Once they tightened things up in the second half, it became a lot harder for Rodgers and company to move the ball down the field.
Standout: RB Jaylen Warren
We haven’t seen the best of Jaylen Warren yet this season because he’s been banged up but he made a couple of massive plays tonight that deserve recognition. Early in the third quarter, he stonewalled an unblocked blitzer to give Wilson just enough time to fire a shot down the field to convert on third down. Then later on in the game, Warren caught a checkdown on third and 8, deployed a nifty spin move to evade a couple tacklers and move the chains. The rushing numbers were anything but gaudy. However, he looked a little bit more springy than he had in previous weeks which is an encouraging sign for where things could be headed.
Standout: CB Joey Porter Jr.
All of the talk in the media this week was centered around the Jets reuniting Davante Adams with his former signal caller. Whether it was Adams or Garrett Wilson, Porter held both in check tonight on the boundary. Something that I’ve noticed over the first couple games of his career is that when the competition rises, Porter’s play typically does as well. Late in the game, he made a nice tackle in run defense, although that’s an area where he needs to be more consistent in. Overall, this felt like a really solid performance from him pending the film review.
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