Pittsburgh Steelers: Report Card Roundup Over Atlanta Falcons

The glow of victory from Sunday afternoon makes the beginning of the work week even more enjoyable, as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Falcons 27-20 in Atlanta.

Besides winning two contests in a row, Mike Tomlin‘s squad was able to wrap up their campaign against the NFC South at an even 2-2 this season. They were able to bookend their defeats to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-12) in Week #4 and the New Orleans Saints (5-8) in Week #13 with their victories against the Carolina Panthers (5-8-1) in Week #3 and Sunday’s efforts in the Georgia Dome over the Falcons (5-9).

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Let’s pour another cup of coffee and check in along press row to see what grades the experts gave the Black and Gold for their performance in Atlanta.

Bleacher Report – Mike Batista was impressed that the Steelers did not turn the ball over on Sunday for the second consecutive week. He gave the wide receivers and tight ends an A- this week.

CBS Local – Christina Rivers gave the coaching staff a B as she liked that Dick LeBeau dialed up several different blitz packages to keep Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in the pocket and played a rather balanced run-to-pass defense.

ESPN – Scott Brown was impressed by both Vince Williams and Sean Spence and their play at weakside inside linebacker. He gave the overall linebacking unit a B.

Pittsburgh Sporting News – In Matt Shetler’s critique, he gave the offensive line a C as it averaged just two yards per carry which was its lowest mark of the season.

Post-Gazette – Gerry Dulac points out that while Ben Roethlisberger did not throw a touchdown for just the second time this season, he also did not put up an interception for the second straight game. His quarterback grade was an A.

Yahoo Sports – While NFL Media’s Brian Billick thought the defense was good enough to keep the Atlanta offense in check, he gives the overall defense a C-.

What would your report card look like for the Steelers this week? Let me know in the comments section below.

In the end, the AFC North standings continue to grow tighter as the Black and Gold at 9-5 are tied with Baltimore for second in the division. The Ravens kept pace by declawing the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium 20-12. Meanwhile, Cincinnati at 9-4-1 remains a half-game in first as the Bengals shut out Cleveland on the road 30-0. The Browns are in fourth at 7-7.

Up Next: Pittsburgh returns to Heinz Field on Sunday, Dec. 21 as they host Kansas City (8-6), who are tied with the San Diego Chargers for second place in the AFC West. The Chiefs are 3-4 on the road this season. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on CBS.