Steelers Film Room: Top 15 plays of the 2015 season: Part 1

Between having the fourth highest scoring offense in the NFL and having the third most sacks and turnovers in the league, the Pittsburgh had plenty of highlights in their 2015 season as they went on to finish 10-6 and defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the playoffs.

We have been picking through the plays we have GIF'd in the past as well as plays throughout the season we might have missed and comprised a list of the team's best plays from this season.

We will be doing five parts in total considering the policies that restrict us to three GIFs per article. So instead of a top ten, we will do a top 15. Plays were weighed against each other based first on how amazing they were from the efforts of the players who made them, as well as the importance they had in the story that was the Steelers 2015-2016 NFl season.

Play Number 15:

We start with a play which did not have as great an impact on its game as it did on Antonio Brown's lower body. Brown scored on his fourth career punt return for a touchdown as the Steelers were closing out the Indianapolis Colts in one of the team's multiple blowouts throughout the season. While it did not change the course of the Steelers' season, it was a reminder to the world how dangerous Brown is from any spot on the field so long as the ball is in his hands. He takes one step to the outside then explodes through the coverage so fast that no defender can even touch him. Add the celebration with the goal post and it's a fun play to watch repeatedly.

Play Number 14:

People came after Mike Mitchell all last season for not being an instant playmaker in the Pittsburgh defense nor being as consistent as fans had grown accustomed to over the years with players such as Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Chris Hope and others contributing to top-ranked units. However this season Mitchell became a leader in the secondary and arguably its best player. He delivered punishing blows week after week that intimidated receivers and forced incompletions, drawing the anger of players such as the Ravens' Steve Smith and the Bengals' Marvin Jones. But here he makes a key center-field play to help the Steelers win a game in which few prognosticators gave them a chance. The offense had struggled with Michael Vick at quarterback, but Landry Jones had managed to come in and throw a touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant in the back of the end zone. The Cardinals' offense was ranked as the highest scoring in the league coming into this game, but they lost that title after the Steelers held them in check and forced three turnovers and a turnover on downs.

Mitchell's interception came at the perfect time. He reads the play the whole way and times his jump perfectly to stop Arizona's drive that could have taken the lead with a touchdown. SPOILER ALERT: There are a lot of other plays from this game on this list.

Play Number 13:

This is one of two plays on our list that come from losses to opponents this season, but the individual effort on Le'Veon Bell on this play mixed with the perserverance of Michael Vick to throw a crucial block for the score helped Pittsburgh stay alive against Baltimore in a night that the Steelers were struggling after just one practice with their third string quarterback under center. Bell missed the large majority of the Steelers' season, but his contributions should serve as a reminder to anyone who thinks Pittsburgh does not need him next year that he is one of the best players in the league and can be the driving force of an offense that has a great many other weapons.

What will be next?

Many plays are out there to choose from, but we have to pick only a select few for this list. Which ones do you think most deserve it?

Keep checking in with BTSC this week to see what other highlights we put together.