Week 2 Winners/Losers: Steelers Question Marks Answer Call
PITTSBURGH -- 2-0 has a nice ring to it.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are undefeated after beating the Denver Broncos 26-21 in their home opener at Heinz Field. A performance that left plenty to reflect on, and despite being close in score, had more positives than negatives.
Winners
Mike Hilton
The 5'9 cornerback started playing Sunday's game disguised as a linebacker. Whether it was blitzing, taking on Melvin Gordon on the offensive line or stepping into a block from the tackle, Hilton was everywhere.
Hilton led the Steelers with eight tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection. To put it simply, his stat line was undervaluing his performance on the field.
Just when you started to make comments about how well Hilton was playing in the Broncos' backfield, he would drop into coverage and break up a pass between him and the receiver.
"It starts with our front and our linebackers," Hilton said. "Offensive lines are so worried about those guys up front that me and Terrell [Edmunds] and guys from the secondary have an opportunity to go make plays ... I was able to make plays early in the game. We have a lot of guys who can make plays. It helps."
Last week, Bud Dupree was the defensive MVP for the Steelers. This week, even when T.J. Watt had 1.5 sacks and Bud Dupree forced a fumble, Hilton stole the show.
Chase Claypool
Is there more to be said?
Welcome to the NFL, Chase Claypool. His 81-yard touchdown reception was the fourth-longest for a rookie in franchise history and showed every bit of that 4.4 40-yard dash speed Kevin Colbert has talked about all offseason.
Aside from his touchdown contribution, Claypool found two special teams tackles.
The first tackle of 2020 at Heinz Field went to the rookie on a kickoff. From there, he added three receptions for 88 yards, a touchdown, and another tackle.
He's working his way into the offensive groove. In the meantime, the Steelers will be fine with his contributions as is.
James Conner
For everyone who took a chance and started Benny Snell Jr. in your fantasy football team, I'm sorry.
The beginning looked like a split day for Conner and Snell. A series-by-series duo where Conner took the start and Snell would come in on the next drive to keep Conner's legs fresh.
Once No. 30 got moving, though, it was Conner's backfield for the remainder of the game.
There was a point during the fourth quarter - roughly 12 minutes left - when I noticed Conner standing on the sideline somewhat favoring his left leg. He didn't miss a snap.
He ended the game with a 59-yard bust through the line to the Broncos' 10 yard line. A drive the Steelers needed to seal their second win of the season, Conner put it away.
His 16 rushes for 106 yards and a touchdown was needed for this team to continue relying on him as their bell cow. And staying healthy for four quarters was equally as important.
Kevin Dotson and Chuks Okorafor
Want to know how good Dotson and Okorafor were on the right side of the offensive line? We didn't hear about them at all. I was sitting in the press box with four minutes left in the third quarter and thought, "I forgot there were two new starters up front."
There were times a pass was batted down by defensive linemen, but throughout the game, it was mostly a clean pocket for Ben Roethlisberger.
"I had confidence coming in that they would [play well]," Roethlisberger said. "Those guys put the time and the effort in. We knew that Chuks [Okorafor] was a guy that was battling with [Zach] Banner for the chance to start this year. So we know what he's capable of doing ... As for Dotson, we were excited for him. The young man grew up a Steeler fan ... I was so happy that he got out there and got to play."
The Steelers allowed one sack for 10 yards in Week 2. They gave Roethlisberger time and opened up wholes for 106 rushing yards for Conner.
There wasn't depth to rely on this week. Before the official snap count comes out, it's pretty safe to guess the three backup linemen combined for less than 10 snaps.
Okorafor and Dotson had a big task on their hands in Week 2. They needed to be as reliable as the starters before them and they were.
After the game, Roethlisberger gave Dotson the game ball and told him to give it to Dotson's father, a lifelong Steelers fan.
Special Teams
The Steelers special teams coverage was so good they decided they've earned the right to take a back of the endzone picture after a tackle.
Yep, that's how good of a game they had.
The Steelers coverage team only allowed 71 return yards total. The Broncos' longest return of the afternoon came on a 22-yard kickoff return from Diontae Spence.
Their punt team also added two points to the scoreboard on a safety. Derek Watt blew up a dropped snap and tackled punter Sam Martin in the Steelers endzone for two-points.
An impressive day for the special teams unit that can be credited to the new players they've added to the group. Claypool, Watt, Highsmith and Benny Snell Jr. have all become key parts in this core.
For a team who has struggled in recent years to protect in return coverage, they're finding their stride.
"We had explosive plays in the return game. We had some splash from some other guys," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "I like the overall trajectory of it and we've just got to continue to grow."
Oh, and Diontae Johnson took a punt return to the house but it was called back on a block in the back.
Losers
Steelers Rush Defense
The Steelers finished Sunday's game with six turnovers and two sacks. It was a defense that (unfortunately) ended Drew Lock's day early, had the Broncos ready to pack up and head home by the end of the first quarter.
By halftime, Melvin Gordon was 10 rushes for 49 yards. A strong half, but one that is much less appealing when you see his second quarter consisted of three rushes for 6 yards.
The best way for an inexperienced quarterback to succeed, though, is by giving him a running back to lean on. Jeff Driskel looked like a deer in the headlights when he first step on the field in place of Lock. By the fourth quarter, his comfortability changed drastically.
Gordon finished the game with 70 yards on 17 attempts. Not the best of performances, but one strong enough to take pressure off his inexperienced quarterback.
For a Steelers team that allowed six yards to Saquon Barkley in Week 2, it was surprising to see them give up the backside on counters to Gordon.
Moving forward, the challenge will be to find a well-rounded game. In Week 1, they had issues against the pass. This week, it was against the run. Next week, hopefully the Houston Texans can't do anything on the offensive end.
"We've just got to be more disciplined. We're very fast, we're very technical, but at times we've got to be more disciplined," linebacker T.J. Watt said. "There isn't much preseason games but that's no excuse."
Benny Snell Jr.
Snell got the short-end of the stick in the backfield this week. Once Conner got going, Snell was on the field once, maybe twice, a series.
The second-year back only ran the ball three times after taking over for an injured Conner in Week 1. Against the New York Giants, Snell totaled 113 yards on 19 carries and was considered on the verge of overstepping Conner for the starting job.
This week, he wasn't able to utilize his limited chances, and eventually became absent from the running game.
When the team leaned on him in the fourth quarter to put the game away, Snell fumbled and handed the Broncos the ball back with a chance to take the lead.
"I know that I've got some concern because we've got to maintain possession of the ball, particularly in those significant moments," Tomlin said. "He's a young guy growing in terms of situational awareness. I'm sure it'll be a growth experience for him but we've got some work to do there."
Snell took a step back in utilization in Week 2. The storyline won't be whether or not he's starting this week.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
