What went right and what went wrong for the Steelers vs the Seahawks
It wasn’t pretty and it took forever but the Pittsburgh Steelers got past the Seattle Seahawks in overtime and found the way back to .500 going into the bye week. Not everything was perfect so let’s talk about what went right and what went wrong Sunday night.
Paying T.J. Watt went right
(AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
A lot of fans start to wonder when a player gets a huge contract, does their play start to drop off. No fear of this with linebacker T.J. Watt. Watt was the star of Sunday’s game and even when the defense struggled, Watt shut the door on the Seahawks.
Trusting Chase Claypool went wrong
(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
We aren’t saying Chase Claypool isn’t a great player. I’m convinced he is. But he isn’t playing well at all. The most disappointing thing is how a guy so big and so strong can’t win on contested catches. If Claypool can’t find a way to use his physicality to win the football, he’s going to have to work much harder on his route running to create separation.
Defending DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett went right
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
If the Seahawks were going to beat the Steelers, it had to be by forcing the football to wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. But thanks to a combination of mixing coverages and pressure, the two combined for only eight receptions for 93 receiving yards and no touchdowns.
Tackling went wrong
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Seattle got back into the game at the start of the second half by coming out of the locker room and just running it down the Steelers throats. When presented with a very physical run game, Pittsburgh showed tackling is still a serious problem. Seattle backup running back Alex Collins rushed for 101 yards and just ran through arm tackles and failed attempts by Steelers defenders.
Spreading the football around went right
(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Seven different Steelers had at least one reception on Sunday and four different players had at least one designed carry. The play calling was rock solid and really showed the influence of offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
Stopping the run went wrong
(AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
We have already talked about the issues with tackling but failing to stop the run goes deeper than that. The Steelers defensive line is basically Cam Heyward and some guys who try really hard. Chris Wormley is good at times and Isaiahh Loudermilk shows promise but holding the point of attack is a real problem. The same can be said for the inside linebacker as they continue to underperform along with safety Terrell Edmunds.
1
1
