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Our last edition highlighted Antonio Brown and Ryan Shazier, we will revisit Shazier in these highlights, but with different receivers on the Pittsburgh roster.
Play Number 6:
This was a game changer in the playoffs. Shazier's explosiveness and ability to change direction to hit top speed is uncanny and one of the reasons the Steelers drafted him in the first round. Had the officials made the correct call, this would have ended up as a touchdown for Pittsburgh and possibly sealed the game a lot earlier than what happened. Shazier's form is perfect, he backs off into coverage and immediately reacts to the pass to the flat. Bye the time Bernard has turned upfield and tried to gain yards, Shazier bulldozes through him to force a key fumble which would not only create a huge turnover, but also break the Bengals into a frenzy. Jeremy Hill would try to fight with Steelers players after this hit, depite it being legal, in the spirit of the game and without celebration over the Bernard as he recovers from being absolutely crushed. This is not the highest Shazier will appear on this list.
Play Number 5:
This play ultimately ended the Cardinals' hopes of a comeback when they faced the Steelers. Pittsburgh had just gotten the back after a turnover and needed to find a way to get a few first downs to run the clock out. Instead, the offense scores in just two plays. Landry Jones throws his second touchdown pass of his career while under pressure to Martavis Bryant on a slant route. Bryant would take a slant route and turn it into one of his most ridiculous plays as a member of the Steelers. The Cardinals' have one of the league's best secondaries, but they got absolutely torched by Bryant. Not even Patrick Peterson, one of the league's top athletes, could catch Bryant once he broke loose. Watching him weave around defenders for the 88 yard score.
Play Number 4:
This play is one of two that made our list which came from games which the Steelers lost. Despite it not contributing to the Steelers' playoff efforts in the long run, it was vintage Ben Roethlisberger and a prime example of just how good the Steelers' wide receivers are. Everyone knows that Antonio Brown is elite and that Martavis Bryant is an amazing athlete, but Markus Wheaton often is overlooked and that can allow him opportunities.
Roethlisberger throws the absolute perfect pass while on the run escaping the pocket. He drops the ball right into the bread basket for Wheaton to catch it and produce a huge gain, but Wheaton does more than that. The Seahawks' safety, Kam Chancellor, thought he could shade to Bryant's side to protect against a deep route, but that came back to bite him when Wheaton beat his man deep. Wheaton's ability to finish the play behind one of the league's top secondaries should make every Steelers fan excited for next year when he enters his fourth year with a Pittsburgh offense that will hopefully be healthy.
And then there were three.
Just three final plays remain on our list, but which are they? Playoff highlights? Rivalry games? Something you might have overlooked when you first thought about top plays of the year? The answers come soon.