When the Pittsburgh Steelers needed it the most, they got a huge road win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. This was a game defined by huge plays on defense and once again injuries. Who are the winners and losers from this week’s game? Here are ours.
Winner
RB James Conner
You could tell early on the gameplan was to make Conner the focus of the offense. Whether it was running the ball or as a receiver, everything would go through him. This took a tremendous amount of pressure off of rookie quarterback Devlin Hodges and gave him a reliable target which included on his touchdown pass in the first half. Conner suffered an injury late in the game but still finished with 119 yards of offense and two total touchdowns.
Loser
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
We readily acknowledge the gameplan was not to throw the football down the field. And it was clear Pittsburgh opted for an ultra-conservative approach. Nevertheless, only one catch on four targets to Smith-Schuster seems inexcusable. Smith-Schuster has taken the brunt of the quarterback injuries this season with his stats and Sunday night was no different.
Winner
Steelers offensive line
An inspired effort by this group on Sunday night. The Steelers offensive line had been solid in pass protection all season but this was the first game where they really controlled the line of scrimmage in the run game as well. Steelers running backs averaged 3.5 yards per carry but you saw more holes for them to run through and linemen like guard David DeCastro and tackle Matt Feiler finishing blocks.
Loser
C Maurkice Pouncey
There was no mention of Pouncey in the postgame as far as injuries go but something was wrong in the first half. Pouncey had about five really bad snaps — some low and some high — and the last one, Hodges had to run for and luckily threw the football away. He turned it around in the second half but it was very much out of character for him.
Winner
LB Devin Bush
Every week we get a little bit deeper look at just how special a player Bush is. He played the first half like he was shot out of a cannon and finished with seven tackles, a pass defended, a fumble recovery and a touchdown. He twisted his ankle and seemed a little off for a bit once he returned but still managed to play very well down the stretch.
Loser
WR Ryan Switzer
We are huge Switzer fans here but we have to wonder what exactly his role is on this team. His returns are anything but spectacular and his impact as a receiver is non-existent. Switzer had one catch on Sunday on a key third down but the play was over before it started. We have to wonder why this wasn’t a play set up for Smith-Schuster or Diontae Johnson instead.
Winner
CB Cam Sutton
Wow, what a game by Sutton. No player on the Steelers roster has shown the type of improvement from last year to this year that Sutton has. He’s been a great slot corner but when Joe Haden got hurt it was seamless for him to slide outside and shut the Chargers down. Sutton had three passes defended, a late interception to seal the win and a huge catch on an onsides kick try by Los Angeles to get Pittsburgh the ball back.
Loser
CB Justin Layne
With all the injuries in the Steelers secondary, this was a week for Layne to impress. But it didn’t happen. He was passed over on the cornerback depth chart once again and the only time his name was mentioned it was in relation to a penalty on punt coverage where he interfered with a return man.
