Last week was rough... Getting swept by the Ravens is one of the worst feelings a Steelers fan can have. I would almost rather lose twice to the Bengals and Browns in one season, than to the Ravens. All week we had to listen to the guys on the NFL Network, ESPN, NFL Sirius, etc., talk about how terrible we are and how much better both the Ravens and Bengals are.
Needless to say, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now back in first place; defeating the over-hyped, overrated Cincinnati Bengals in a game that should of been a blowout.
Offensively, I questioned the play-calling in the second half. When you're not running the ball effectively, don't run. Ben was killing the Bengals' secondary. He was 21/33, with about 5 drops. Mendenhall is still running high and soft. Aside from his two touchdowns, he didn't run hard all day. It's almost as if he goes flat until the offense is inside the 10-yardline. The offensive line seemed to fall apart in the second half as well. They gave up 5 sacks in the final two quarters alone. That being said, the passing game looked solid. Antonio Brown was an animal with 5 catches for 86 yards. He's really starting to make a difference out there, and is now the starting #2 receiver. Cotchery looks like Hines from five years ago. He makes the same type of plays, and shows that old Hines Ward speed we haven't seen in some time.
Offensive Player of the Game- Antonio Brown, WR
"Unsung" Hero of the Offense- Weslye Saunders, TE; Picked up a huge first down late in the game to help the Steelers seal the victory.
Overall, the defense was pretty good. We actually forced a few turnovers for once. With Dalton's three step drop, the Steelers were unable to record a sack, but they did force two interceptions, one by Lawrence Timmons, the other William Gay. Dear Lord! William Gay actually made a play?! And a good one? That's right, William Gay had an overall impressive performance yesterday, with 4 passes defended, and his first interception in two years. Though it does not make up for his piss poor super bowl performance, it's certainly a start. Congratulations William Gay, you win defensive player of the week! (In Alex's opinion)
Defensive Player of the Game- William Gay, CB
"Unsung" Hero of the Defense- James Harrison, OLB; Wasn't given much recognition for his run stuffing yesterday. Had a lot of cutback tackles that saved a few extra yards.
Written by Alex Muchnok
Follow me on twitter @AMuchnok56
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