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Report Card: Steelers earn a B against the Eagles
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Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton bears down on Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.
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Ben Roethlisberger got off to a slow start and didn't put together the type of productive performance he did in the first three games. But he did something he didn't do in losses to Denver and Oakland -- engineered the winning drive in the final minutes that included two third-down conversions. Roethlisberger was the victim of five drops by his receivers, but he hasn't thrown an interception since the pick-six in the season opener.
GRADE: BIt is no surprise that the team's best rushing performance of the season coincided with the return of Rashard Mendenhall, who rushed for 81 yards, averaged 5.8 yards per carry and scored on a 13-yard run in his first game since anterior cruciate ligament surgery. He also had the longest rush of the season (17 yards), but had a 24-yard run negated by a Willie Colon holding penalty. Isaac Redman added 41 yards on 13 carries, including a 13-yard run that led to a field goal.
GRADE: AFive dropped passes -- three by Mike Wallace -- and a stumble over his own feet by Jerricho Cotchery were among the many foibles. Antonio Brown had two of the drops, including one in the end zone that would have made it 14-0, but finished with a team-high seven catches for 86 yards. The biggest was a 20-yarder on third-and-12 on the winning scoring drive. Emmanuel Sanders had a big third-down catch on the final drive, too.
GRADE: CThe positives were that the Steelers rushed for 136 yards and averaged 4.4 yards per carry, easily their best outing of the season; and that Roethlisberger was not sacked for the first time this season. But the negative was that guard Willie Colon was penalized three times for holding, including two in the first half. He had another declined. Give right tackle Marcus Gilbert props for the block on Mendenhall's 15-yard screen pass on the winning drive.
GRADE: BHolding LeSean McCoy to 53 yards on 16 carries and not allowing a run longer than 10 yards is more than acceptable. And getting two of the three sacks from the line is not just acceptable, it's surprising. But, when they needed a stop on two fourth-and-1 chances in the fourth quarter, the defense couldn't prevent the conversions. Still, keeping Vick from hurting them with the run was big.
GRADE: B-A monster game for Lawrence Timmons, who had four hurries, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble, all in the first half. And do not underestimate the importance of James Harrison playing the entire time and getting three hurries in his first game since last year. That became even more important when LaMarr Woodley went out with a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Jason Worilds stepped in and had a sack, two tackles for losses, two hurries and a pass breakup.
GRADE: AWhat began as a triumphant moment with the return of Troy Polamalu could have easily morphed into despair when Polamalu aggravated his injury in the first quarter and did not return. But Vick did not complete a pass longer than a 24-yarder to DeSean Jackson, though it came on Ike Taylor on the final scoring drive. Ryan Clark delivered the big hit on Vick that forced a goal-line fumble in the first quarter, but he and Ryan Mundy were penalized for unnecessary hits that kept alive the Eagles' first TD drive.
GRADE: BIt was certainly a better all-around performance than the one in Oakland. The star was Shaun Suisham, who kicked two more field goals, including the winning 34-yarder as time expired. Suisham has converted all eight attempts this season. Drew Butler atoned for a pair of bad punts in Oakland by averaging 46.3 yards, including a 57-yarder after a penalty forced a re-kick. And the coverage units were solid, not allowing a return longer than 25 yards.
GRADE: A-The ability to stay away from back-to-back losses continues to be a signature for the team. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley was not afraid to lean on the run, especially on the final drive that resulted in the winning field goal. His persistence, and the ability to mix Mendenhall and Redman, was the difference. That took the defense off the hook for the 17-play scoring drive that gave the Eagles a 14-13 lead and wiped out a 10-point lead for the second game in a row.
GRADE: B+First Published October 8, 2012 12:00 am
