The Pittsburgh Steelers were back on the field Sunday for the eleventh game of the 2023 regular season when they played the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12 of regular season action. The Steelers were winners in the contest, but that doesn’t mean every player had a good or bad performance.

Players who play well can be considered ‘Winners’, while those who left a lot to be desired can be called ‘Losers’. It may sound harsh, but it is the crux of this exercise.

Let’s check in to see who fell on which side of the ledger after the latest game…

Winners

Pat Freiermuth
Stat Line: 9 catches, 120 yds, 13.3 ave., 0 TD, 29 long, 11 targets

Welcome back to Pat Freiermuth! What’s that? He has been back now for two weeks? Well, we didn’t notice, but we sure did this week. The Steelers’ offense was making plays over the middle, and it always seemed as if it was Freiermuth who was making those plays when it mattered most. Let’s hope this is a sign of things to come, because “Muth” being a vital part of the offensive plan will only make the offense more dynamic moving forward.

Offensive Coaching Staff
Stat Line: 421 yards, 22 first downs (1 by penalty)

The offensive coaching staff had an uphill battle after the Browns loss. For Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan it was a whirlwind to get this offense both together and back on track. Yet they were able to do just that in short time. It wasn’t just Faulkner and Sullivan, but all-hands-on-deck to get everyone ready. Nonetheless, it was a great plan which resulted in Freiermuth’s big day, and Najee Harris breaking out for almost 100 yards. Great plan, and great execution for the majority of the game.

Kenny Pickett
Stat Line: 24/33, 278 yards, 8.4 ave., 0 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks-for-10 yds., 97.8 Rating / 5 carries, 5 yds

Pickett didn’t throw a touchdown, although many would argue he should have if Diontae Johnson can hold onto the football, but I saw some serious progress with Pickett. Was it perfect? Far from it, but the way he attacked the middle of the field, and his deep accuracy has fans leaving the Week 12 game with something they haven’t felt in a while — hope. Pickett seems to be taking ownership of the offense in every possible way.

Kenny Pickett waited for almost all his teammates outside of the locker room to dap them up … Was told the #Steelers building “just felt different” this week after Canada was fired. But now it’s on Kenny + the offense to put up points pic.twitter.com/oWxANEwLPL

— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) November 26, 2023

T.J. Watt
Stat Line: 5 tackles, 5 solo, 2 Sacks, 1 TFL, 2 QB Hits

All Watt does is make plays, and he continued that trend with two big sacks on the young Bengals’ quarterback. The pressure Watt and company were able to put on Browning was a large reason for the success of the defense throughout the game. Watt is a game-wrecker, and this isn’t breaking news.

Cam Heyward
Stat Line: 4 tackles, 3 solo, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit

Heyward may have been back the past few weeks, but this was the first game where he looked both healthy and acclimated to the NFL game. Heyward was tough against the run, as well as putting pressure on the quarterback up the middle. Great to see, because the Steelers need Cam at his best if they want to continue their march to the postseason.

Joey Porter Jr.
Stat Line: 2 tackles, 1 solo, 1 pass defense

Some might suggest Joey Porter Jr. didn’t play well enough to be on the winners list. I would argue when was the last time the Steelers had a cornerback who openly stated he wanted the top target for the opposition…as a rookie? Porter has the stones to do just that, and the play to back it up. Just look at some of these NFL Next Gen stats when Porter was squared up with Ja’Marr Chase.

Joey Porter lined up against Ja'Marr Chase on 24 of 28 routes (85.7%), aligning in press coverage on 10 routes (41.7%).

Chase caught both of his targets with Porter as the nearest defender, with both coming in tight windows in man coverage.#PITvsCIN | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/VL7BIheibI

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 26, 2023

Trenton Thompson
Stat Line: 5 tackles, 5 solo, 1 INT, 1 pass defense

One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity. We’ve all heard that Mike Tomlin quote multiple times, and it can be reiterated when talking about Thompson. Thompson’s play has been “above the line”, and if the Steelers can get Minkah Fitzpatrick back they might have found something in Thompson to accompany Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee.

3rd Down Offense
Stat Line: 8-for-17 / No 3 & Outs

I normally say .500 is the goal, and 8/17 isn’t that. However, the fact the offense didn’t have a 3-and-out on the game was notable. 17 potential conversions is a large number, and for the new offense to be just shy of .500 is a great start.

P.O.T
Stat Line: Thompson INT = TD

Points Off Turnovers is the POT I’m talking about, and Trenton Thompson’s interception didn’t just take points off the board for the Bengals, but equated in the offense moving down the field and putting their only touchdown on the board via a Najee Harris run.

Time of Possession
Stat Line: 37:17 – PIT / 22:43 – CIN

T.J. Watt talked about how fresh he felt throughout the game. Why? Because the offense possessed the ball so much. Looking at those numbers, a near 15 minute time advantage is impressive. Huge key to victory.

Losers

Diontae Johnson
Stat Line: 4 catches, 50 yards, 12.5 ave., 0 TD, 39 long, 8 targets

Where to begin with Johnson’s play. First, the report of he and Minkah Fitzpatrick getting into a scuffle after last week’s game, then he drops a would-be touchdown. Talk about how he had three feet in all you want, but if he doesn’t drop the ball it isn’t even something to discuss.

So, while still sulking the following play happened:

BAD BAD LOOK… #Steelers WR Diontae Johnson is not moving at all on this play despite the ball bouncing in front of him… does not even go for the fumble

😳😳😳
pic.twitter.com/WQIxLjPtW7

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 26, 2023

If Johnson thinks he’s “that guy” for the Steelers offense, then he needs to start producing like one. Throw in Johnson getting into it on social media with fans, and the bad gets worse.

Red-Zone Offense
Stat Line: 1-for-4

Where can the Steelers offense go from here? Try improving the red-zone offense. Steelers moved the ball well between the 20s, but when the field got short the offense had no answer. That should be atop the to-do list this week.

Danny Smith
Stat Line: Questionable decisions

Where are the returns with Calvin Austin III? Why do the Steelers consistently kick the ball short? The constant penalties on the special teams units. Just not good enough.

Paycor Stadium
Stat Line: Clock Issues

Paycor Stadium is a place where nightmares come to fruition. Ryan Shazier’s injury happened there, so did Damar Hamlin’s near-death experience. While this wasn’t to that severity, the fact the coaches, players, and fans were without a game clock for the most of the second quarter was both laughable and unbelievable. Only in Cincinnati.

If you want a more detailed look at the above list, check out my “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below where I outline each Winner and Loser, and MORE!