Pro Football Focus says Benny Snell Jr. was the lone bright spot for the Steelers offense in Week 17

When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, the fan base would like to just forget about the 2019 season. After all, the Steelers were the only team to not reach 30 points in a single game this year, and the three-game losing streak to end the season which saw them hit 10 points per game just capped off a frustrating season.

In Week 17 the team lost to division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, 28-10, and the offense was as anemic as ever under torrential downpours. But not everyone was dreadful. The folks at Pro Football Focus (PFF) break down the game and talk about how one Benny Snell Jr. played a tremendous game despite the conditions.

Check out PFF’s Refocused report below:

Facing a team prepared to blitz him all day long, Devlin Hodges looked anything but assured. Even when he was able to find receivers, the conditions and his receivers conspired to put the ball on the ground and end a disappointing season for the Steelers.

If there was a bright spot it was the running of rookie Benny Snell. The blocking wasn’t always the greatest, but he showed the ability to maximize holes inside, while showing a turn of speed when bouncing it outside.

Edge defender T.J. Watt continued his impressive season as he made multiple plays in the backfield, including a forced fumble in the third quarter. However, his three penalties also hurt the team and he also struggled to come off blocks on a couple run plays.

Cornerback Steven Nelson put together probably the best performance on the Steelers defense against Baltimore. Nelson played well in coverage and was one of the main reasons why Baltimore did not have success throwing the football. Even though he was one of the more frequently targeted Pittsburgh defenders, he gave up just one reception on the day.

The one aspect of this recap is how it highlights players who didn’t necessarily get shown on TV, and that is often a good thing. Players like Steven Nelson, who had a tremendous debut season in black-and-gold, deserve the recognition. Also how they mention T.J. Watt’s dominant play, but his penalties can creep up and hurt the team an inopportune moments.

This recap was almost a microcosm of the 2019 season. There was some good, but plenty of bad. Even when the Steelers were winning, it often felt they were winning despite someone. The quarterback threw two interceptions, but the defense had three takeaways to save the day.

Pittsburgh will have an extremely long offseason to dwell on this season and wonder what could have been if the offense could have just helped the defense a bit...

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they start the process of signing players and potentially changing their coaching staff.