Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card following loss to Bengals
By Matt Shetler
Defensive Line: I liked what I saw from Cam Heyward, who is starting to be disruptive up front. But as a unit they gave up too many big run plays and didn’t apply much pressure, making things easy for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. Grade: C-
Sep 16, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon Tate (19) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers Kion Wilson (55) and Jarvis Jones (95) at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati won the game 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Linebackers: The Bengals racked up over 400 yards in total offense and once again the Steelers failed to force any turnovers. Add to that fact that there were plenty of blown coverages and they did not sack Dalton once and it turns out to be a pretty bad night. Jarvis Jones did have a solid debut as a starter (eight tackles, seven solo), but Kion Wilson and Vince Williams struggled in Larry Foote’s absence. Grade: D
Secondary: Ike Taylor did a very good job again with A.J. Green as he never allowed a pass of more than eight yards despite Green being targeted 13 times. However they couldn’t get off the field on third down which is starting to become a disturbing trend. Dalton passing for 280 yards is more than enough for the Bengals to beat this team. Grade: C-
Special Teams: Jones was spectacular in coverage all night and Brown had a 40-yard punt return that led to a field goal. It wasn’t a bad night overall as there weren’t many breakdowns of note. Grade: B
Coaching: The coaching staff continues to not play to their best player’s strengths despite the lack of quality personnel. Only two teams have scored fewer points than the Steelers this year, which is disturbing. Defensively they just can’t make big plays and blown coverages keep having and the defense can’t stop the inside run. This team is 0-2 for a reason and the coaching staff needs to make some adjustments. Grade: D