When the Pittsburgh Steelers needed a play on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, they got it. Whether it was from the defense, offense or even special teams, there were more than a handful of moments that defined the Steelers’ 17-12 win. Here are our big takeaways from the win.
Defense pitched a shutout (sort of)
OK, so technically the Steelers defense did allow three points. The other nine came on a defensive touchdown by the Rams and a safety. But they did pitch a shutout in one key area. The Steelers didn’t give up a single catch to Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp. This is a guy who had five 100-yard receiving games so far this season, and the Steelers denied him at every turn. This is something you could have never expected from the Pittsburgh defense last season.
The run game is a mess
Let’s all cross our fingers James Conner can get healthy enough to get back on the field on Thursday when the Steelers travel to Cleveland and take on the Browns. Jaylen Samuels offers plenty of value as a wide receiver, but 29 rushing yards on 14 attempts just won’t get it done down the stretch.
The playoffs are really a thing
If the playoffs started tomorrow, Pittsburgh would be the final wild-card team and would be traveling to Houston to take on the Texans. That’s a feat made even more remarkable by the fact this team lost its best wide receiver in the offseason, saw its franchise quarterback go down in the second game and was 1-4 after five games. And best of all, for all the losses this is a team that really thinks it can beat anyone, and that’s all that matters in the NFL.
