Who gets the game ball for the Steelers 13-10 win over the Raiders?

The Pittsburgh Steelers got their seventh win of the 2022 season with a come-from-behind victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Steelers overcame a rough start to represent Steelers Nation to cap off an emotional week. The offense came through in the end, and the defense pitched a shutout in the second half.

But who gets the game ball?

Each win for the Steelers this season, I will set forth nominations to receive the BTSC game ball. It does not necessarily have to be the best player on the field, but who really stepped up their game this particular week. After the case has been made, you all decide which player takes home the honor.

There have now been six game balls given out this season with the most recent being in Week 15. The winner for that game was Mitch Trubisky. After giving up three interceptions the previous week when called on to come into the game, Mitch Trubisky bounced back in Week 15 by playing a very clean football game. Completing 17 passes on 22 attempts, Trubisky had 179 yards through the air. Additionally, Trubisky had six rushing attempts for 9 yards including a kneel down to end the game. Trubisky had a quarterback sneak for a touchdown and converted several third downs with sneaks as well.

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 Hartman’s Winners and Losers article.

NOTE: The Steelers appropriately gave their game ball to Franco’s widow.

So here are the nominations in no particular order:

Cam Heyward

The Steelers defensive captain played like a man possessed the entire night. After being the man carrying the 32 flag out of the tunnel, Heyward followed it up with seven tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, and a pass defensed. On the night, 97 was just a nuisance every time he was on the field.

Pat Freiermuth

After not being targeted the previous week, Pat Freiermuth saw eight targets with seven receptions for 66 yards. Most importantly, Freiermuth had three catches for 31 yards on the Steelers game-winning drive in the final minutes.

Minkah Fitzpatrick

While the Raiders receivers sometimes could not bring in the ball in the cold weather, Minkah Fitzpatrick had no problem reacting quickly to the deflected pass by Hunter Renfrow to pull in a key interception. Fitzpatrick added two tackles on the night and made his presence known in the secondary.

George Pickens

Sometimes a player just needs to wait for their opportunities. After only being targeted once for an 8-yard reception in the first half, George Pickens came on strong and once again caught every ball thrown his way. Finishing with five catches for 57 yards, the most important was the 14-yard touchdown with 0:46 remaining in the game to give the Steelers the lead.

Cam Sutton

Sometimes players get pointed out for an overall game performance, and sometimes it’s for making the big play the big moment. When the Raiders had an opportunity to move into field goal range to send the game to overtime, Cam Sutton shut it down with a diving interception to give the Steelers the ball back with the opportunity to run out the clock. It should be noted that Sutton also had two passes defensed and three tackles in the game.

So what do you think? Who deserves the game ball 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.