The Pittsburgh Steelers are headed into Week 14 with another victory under their belt. This time, they were able to dispatch the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati. With a final score of 33-20, the Black and Gold dominated throughout the game. Still, though, certain units performed better than others. Here's the Week 14 report card:
Quarterback: A-
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not have his finest performance, but it was good enough to win. He completed 30 of 39 passes for 282 yards. Though Roethlisberger was able to lead his team down the field, he struggled to get into the end zone through the air. He also threw an interception. Overall, however, he was reliable and competent, distributing passes to five different targets.
Receivers and Tight Ends: B+
Dropped passes prevent the receivers from earning a higher grade. Also, there were no touchdowns from receivers this week. Martavis Bryant had some stellar blocking down field, while tight end Heath Miller caught 10 passes for 66 yards, a reliable force that generated cheers of "HEEEAAAAATH," even in an enemy stadium.
Offensive Line: B
The offensive line held up again a strong Cincinnati Bengals defense. Roethlsiberger was sacked twice. On one occasion, the sack was due to a missed block by Marcus Gilbert. The other time, Roethlisberger hung onto the ball for an unreasonably long time.
Alejandro Villanueva left the game briefly with an injury, and Chris Hubbard filled in admirably well during his time on the field. On most passing plays, Ben enjoyed a clean pocket. Likewise, DeAngelo Williams enjoyed some effective blocking. Sometimes, however, Williams was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line has done better run blocking than they did in Week 14.
Running Backs: A-
DeAngelo Williams had 76 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. Williams' average carry was shorter than in previous weeks, but he was able to get first downs when it counted, and also into the end zone. Williams also played a cleaner game than last week, avoiding fumbles and turnovers.
Defensive Line: A-
The defensive line stepped up big in Week 14, putting continual pressure on both Andy Dalton and A.J. McCarron. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt had a phenomenal interception in the first quarter that set the tone for the rest of the game, while defensive end Cameron Heyward also had a strong game that included a sack. Tackle Dan McCullers teamed up with Vince Williams for a half-sack credit.
The defensive line was effective in stopping the run, limiting Giovanni Bernard to 40 yards and Jeremy Hill 16. They were also enable to maneuver and make big plays unencumbered by the opponents' blocks.
Linebackers: B+
James Harrison had another high-impact game, largely responsible for one of A.J. McCarron's interceptions, abusing the left tackle and putting insane pressure on McCarron. Arthur Moats played well after stepping in for an injured Bud Dupree, while Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams both were able to make meaningful contributions to the effort en route to the win. While the linebackers are a talented bunch, they are partially to blame for the weak pass defense. Today, McCarron threw for 280 yards. Inexcusable.
Secondary: B
The Steelers secondary is wildly inconsistent. They struggled some against tight end Tyler Eifert before he left the game with a concussion, and also were partially responsible for receiver A.J. Green racking up 132 yards and quarterback A.J. McCarron looking way more competent than he should have. (He threw for 280 yards after he stepped in for an injured Andy Dalton.) William Gay had a phenomenal interception he took back for a touchdown, while Will Allen was responsible for a sack. Robert Golden also had an interception.
Special Teams: A-
Steelers special teams deserves a grade in the A-range this week. While they still have some troubling deficiencies, against the Bengals, kicker Chris Boswell was responsible for 15 of the Steelers 33 points. Punter Jordan Berry was solid, and the rest of the special teams unit generally avoided penalties and stepped up once for a brilliant play that put the Bengals on the 2-yard-line.