The Pittsburgh Steelers had a dud of a performance in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals as they fell 24–10 at Heinz Field. With the Steelers experiencing a second-straight loss, and many readers feeling awarding a game ball in a losing performance should not be done, Jeff Hartman and I put our heads together and decided that, when the Steelers lose a game, we will look at the “Dud of the Week.”
So who gets the anti-game ball?
Highlighting the results of the previous week, even though it was a Steelers loss we did do a BTSC game ball. So let’s check out the winner…
Week 2 Game Ball Winner: Cam Heyward
The Steelers defensive captain turned in another strong performance in Week 2. Heyward had seven tackles, one of which was for loss, as well as a pass defensed as he was the only remaining healthy starter on the defensive line from who was expected for the 2021 season.
I’m pretty grateful that we decided to make this change because I don’t believe I could have found five players who I feel had a solid enough performance to be in the running for a game ball. As for “Dud of the Week,” there may have been more players to highlight than the five chosen. I will remind everyone of the rules that it is individual players who will be in the running. Although it could be applicable, it will not be either position groups or coaches who are eligible for this designation as they are more in line for Jeff’s Winners and Losers article. So here are the nominations for the “Dud of the Week” in no particular order:
Ben Roethlisberger
Despite his crazy statistics, Ben Roethlisberger got the majority of his passing yards in the second half of the game when the Steelers were already down to scores. How did the Steelers get in this predicament? The difference in the game was Cincinnati scoring 14 points off of turnovers. Those turnovers were both interceptions by Ben Roethlisberger.
Eric Ebron
Unfortunately, I don’t have the snap counts for the game at this time. But Eric Ebron is obviously the Steeler secondary option at the tight end position as he is getting playing time and targets much like Vance McDonald did in 2020. What Ebron is not doing is taking advantage of his opportunities. Targeted only twice in the game, Ebron had zero catches and it will be interesting to see if both targets end up being classified as drops.
Chris Boswell
Despite being eligible for the game ball in Week 2, Chris Boswell ends up on this list as his 42-yard field goal miss really hindered the small chance the Steelers had to get back in the game. Even if it came due to a slip or if the hold was questionable, the Steelers need to rely on getting three points when kicking from that distance.
James Pierre
Although he had some good plays and even a pass defensed, it was James Pierre who gave up the long touchdown by the Bengals just before the end of the first half. It was a total change in momentum situation despite being set up on a bad roughing the passer call.
Jamir Jones
Although I chose him as my X-factor in the BTSC article prior to kickoff, it was the negative aspect of Jones which ended up being true. It’s not that the rookie outside linebacker looked terrible in his first NFL start, but according to the Steelers media guide, he did not even register a tackle in the game where a big performance would have gone a long way.
So what do you think? Who deserves the “Dud of the Week” for the Steelers this week? Make sure you vote in the poll as this is how the winner will be determined. And of course, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Poll
Who is the Steelers "Dud of the Week" for Week 3?
This poll is closed
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76%
Ben Roethlisberger
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16%
Eric Ebron
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1%
Chris Boswell
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3%
James Pierre
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2%
Jamir Jones
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