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The Steelers were in a must win switch on MNF. For some reason, I’ve been given the responsibility to rate the performance of the squad. It’s not easy, but I’ll give it a whirl. Despite my less than prestigious BTSC teaching certificate, I have to issue the necessary disclaimer. You know the story; of course, I’m not a football coach, or a teacher, but I play one in blogs and podcasts. All week, I had certain expectations of this contest, Then the game happened and judgments abound.
Grading games is an extremely difficult and somewhat thankless task. While the coaches’ grades, of course, are what counts the most, the media and fans can’t help but evaluate as well. All letter grades are simply based on the eye test of somebody watching at home. In this case, it’s my doofus opinion.
So let’s take a look at BTSC’s early perceptions:
Offense: A
Mason Rudolph was 17/18 in the first half with a bunch of short stuff. When he finally went deep, it was for a 43-yard strike to Diontae Johnson. The line started out slow, but really started to get good blocks for the RBs and kept their young quarterback clean. Conner got off to a real slow start, but really got it going.
Poll
What grade do you think the offense deserves after the impressive 27-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals?
This poll is closed
-
41%
A
(936 votes) -
53%
B
(1195 votes) -
4%
C
(104 votes) -
0%
D
(6 votes) -
0%
F
(6 votes)
Defense: A
Keith Butler gets very little credit from me. But his defense was swarming and played Cincy perfectly. The pass rush was there leading to eight sacks with Cam Heyward leading the way with 2.5. Devin Bush had a solid week with a sack and against the run. Barron’s INT was huge in the fourth. But the secondary really stood tall as well. Great night.
Poll
What grade do you think the defense earned after the huge win over the Bengals?
This poll is closed
-
80%
A
(1783 votes) -
17%
B
(390 votes) -
1%
C
(23 votes) -
0%
D
(2 votes) -
0%
F
(7 votes)
Special Teams: B+
Chris Boswell is back so far with another two FG game. The most comforting one was from 49 away. Jordan Berry looked good too. No dumb penalties from Danny Smith Jr’s unit. I would like to see some signs of life from the return game, but they had no return opps. The kick and punt coverage was stellar though.
Poll
What grade would you agree that the ST unit should see on their report card after beating a Cincy 27-3?
This poll is closed
-
36%
A
(733 votes) -
56%
B
(1123 votes) -
6%
C
(126 votes) -
0%
D
(5 votes) -
0%
F
(5 votes)
Overall: A-
Obviously, this wasn’t a perfect game the way things started. But the game plan was imaginative and Mason Rudolph had a game plan designed for his talents. Add in a phenomenal defense and it was a magical night. Can they sustain it? We will see. But celebrate this win.
Poll
What overall grade would you give to the Steelers after the huge 27-3 win against the Bengals?
This poll is closed
-
55%
A
(1104 votes) -
41%
B
(825 votes) -
2%
C
(41 votes) -
0%
D
(3 votes) -
0%
F
(8 votes)
Valedictorian: Mason Rudolph and Cam Heyward
Honor Roll: Chris Boswell, James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, the O-Line, Stephon Tuitt, T.J. Watt, Mike Hilton, Bud Dupree, Mark Barron, Devin Bush, Randy Fichtner
Requires Improvement: JuJu Smith-Schuster
Detention: Nobody
Now it is your turn to play teacher. Use the polls and the comments section below. We can compare notes in the teachers lounge.