The Steelers have won three straight, and that has them right where they want to be: tied for first in the AFC North. The next test comes fast, with a home meeting against the Browns on Sunday afternoon.
Both teams sit at 5-2, though Cleveland owns the tiebreaker thanks to its win over Pittsburgh. After a 16-10 victory over the Saints, the Steelers are back in the middle of the division race, and there was plenty to sort through from that one.
The offense had its moments, and the ground game was one of the clearest talking points. Jaylen Warren finished with 18 carries for 101 yards and added 3 catches for 36 yards, while Rico Dowdle posted 9 carries for 41 yards and 6 catches for 45 yards.
The split raises a real question about how the workload should be divided, especially because Warren seemed to get pulled just as he was starting to roll. Dowdle had his best outing, showing the burst and speed that were expected of him, but whether he should be getting 15 touches is still very much up for debate.
One note from around the league linked back to Warren’s production: he is the first running back to pile up 550+ rushing yards and 250+ receiving yards over the first seven games of a season since Christian McCaffrey in 2019.
There’s also a larger offensive issue with how the Steelers are lining up. The shotgun usage is a sticking point, because the offense has looked better when Aaron Rodgers is under center.
Rodgers completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown, but the protection in front of him remains a problem. Defenses know the line can’t hold up for long, so the ball has to come out quickly or Rodgers will be under siege.
That reality is only going to invite more man coverage.
D.K. Metcalf remains a focal point, but the ball keeps going his way whether it fits or not.
If the Steelers are going to lean on him that heavily, the throws need to be catchable. Up front, Zach Frazier continues to stand out, especially in the run game, and the opinion here is that he’s headed for a Pro Bowl nod.
Troy Fautanu had some rough snaps and got beat a few times, but the bigger question is whether he learned from them.
On defense, Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen put together their best game of the season. Both were tackling well and flying around with purpose.
The defensive line deserves a lot of credit too, especially with Sebastian Joseph-Day and Derrick Harmon out. Domata Peko’s group shut down the Saints’ running game, and rookies Kevin Jobity and Gabe Rubio both contributed.
Jalen Ramsey has been valuable in a number of ways, particularly against the run and as a blitzer off the edge. But there are limits in coverage now, and that showed on the Saints’ touchdown throw on fourth-and-goal, where he didn’t have a real chance.
There were other moments, too, when receivers simply got away from him too quickly. After seven games, Patrick Graham’s defense is still hard to fully define.
Over the last three weeks, the unit has allowed just 17 points per game and the run defense has been excellent, but the pass rush remains uneven and the secondary still doesn’t feel settled.
Keannu Benton keeps trending up and up. Alex Highsmith, by contrast, just isn’t getting to the quarterback enough. Jamel Dean also drew praise for being a better open-field tackler than expected.
Special teams remains a mixed bag. Danny Crossman’s kick coverage unit is still too inconsistent, and it’s still surprising that it hasn’t been burned for a touchdown yet.
Kaden Wetjen made a key play by fielding a punt in traffic instead of letting it bounce, then turning it into about 15 extra yards. In a game where field position mattered, that was huge.
There were also a few officiating gripes. The Steelers felt unlucky on two fumbles near the goal line and believed they should have been awarded a third.
T.J. Watt forced the ball loose from Tyler Shough on a sack, but the officials ruled Shough’s knee was down after review, even though the ball appeared to be moving.
Darnell Washington also drew attention for fighting through Kool-Aid McKinstry on Pittsburgh’s only touchdown of the game, and the complaint was that no defensive holding or pass interference flag came with it despite what looked like a bear hug from the defender. Brandon Smith’s unsportsmanlike penalty was also called weak, with the argument that it should have been offsetting or ignored altogether.
The game’s final strategic call was straightforward. With 1:04 left and the Saints out of timeouts, the Steelers kicked a field goal.
New Orleans was offsides, which gave Mike McCarthy a decision: keep the points and lead by two scores, or decline the result and take a knee twice to end it. The choice was to take the points off the board and run out the clock, and the reasoning was simple - if the offense can’t execute two clean snaps, it doesn’t deserve the win.
It was also preferable to sending out an unreliable kick coverage unit and asking the defense for more work.
Now comes the Browns. Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, at home, with first place in the division still sitting there for the taking.
In Other News...
Steelers Finally Have A Defensive Trend Fans Can Believe In
For a defense that has spent much of the season looking for something stable to build around, Week 7 offered a promising glimpse in the middle of the field. Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen were central to the Steelers' best work against the Saints, with both linebackers showing up against the run and helping keep New Orleans from finding any easy answers through the air.
Wilson was active around the ball all afternoon, stacking up run stops and making a big play that flipped field position. Queen was just as busy, finishing with 10 tackles, a pass breakup and a sack while staying disciplined in coverage, a stretch of play that gave Pittsburgh a clear reason to think this pairing can anchor a more dependable defensive trend going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers 5-2 Start Feels Good Until This Familiar Concern Returns
A 5-2 start is exactly the kind of cushion the Steelers wanted heading toward the bye, especially with a chance to get to 6-2 before the break. The defense under Patrick Graham has done enough to keep the club in position, and the overall vibe around the team is positive enough to make the standings look better than they have in a while.
Still, the same old offensive unease keeps creeping back into the discussion, and that is what makes this stretch feel so familiar. Mike McCarthys group is searching for a clear identity, with the attack seemingly pulled in different directions, while the bigger concern is whether this is just another promising November setup that leaves the Steelers wondering about the same issues once the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Cant Ignore This Secondary Problem Much Longer
The Steelers defensive front gave them something to feel good about in Paris, where they held the Saints to 10 points and again showed how disruptive their pass rush and line play can be when everything is clicking. But even with that kind of performance, the back end still looks like the area that could keep this defense from fully settling in, especially after the trade that left them without a true boundary corner.
Pittsburgh can survive a lot when the front is winning the fight up front, but the secondary has become the lingering question opponents will keep testing. Cornerback remains the obvious spot to monitor, and while the idea of adding help is already circulating, the Steelers have not done anything yet to suggest the answer is coming quickly. [Read more 🡒]