The Pittsburgh Steelers were back on the field Sunday for the twelfth time of the 2024 regular season when they traveled to play the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 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

Cam Heyward
Stat Line: 5 tackles, 3 solo, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 Pass Defense, 2 QB Hits

Cam Heyward has found the fountain of youth, and I speak for most reading this in asking him where he found said fountain. Nonetheless, Captain Cam is not just playing inspired football, but dominant football. I had to ask myself after the game which play was better, his sack of Burrow or when he absolutely devoured Chase Brown for a TFL? Heyward is a rock for the Steelers up front, and has proven more than enough the last season play was due to injury, not because Father Time has caught up with him.

Russell Wilson
Stat Line: 29/38, 414 yards, 10.9 ave., 3 TDs, 1 INT, 2 sacks, 126.4 Rating

This was by far Russell Wilson’s best game as the quarterback of the Steelers, and it was likely a Top 5 game for him as a quarterback in the NFL. Wilson seems to finally be in complete control of the offense, and Arthur Smith seems to be understanding what Wilson wants and the two are starting to gel. Wilson and the Steelers offense took what the Bengals defense gave them, and it allowed them to rack up both yards and points. Wilson had some extra zip on his passes Sunday, and while there are defenses coming up on the schedule who are much better than Cincinnati, that’s exactly what the offense, and Wilson, should do vs. a sub-par group.

George Pickens
Stat Line: 3 catches, 74 yards, 24.7 ave., 1 TD, 36 long, 6 targets

George Pickens, from a pure talent perspective, is amazing. Pickens from a maturity standpoint is another, more on that later. But it is exciting to see Pickens develop into a well-rounded receiver in the league. He isn’t just a “go route” player anymore. He can catch the ball over the middle, can handle wide receiver screens, and absolutely runs a full route tree. Pickens is electrifying, but far from perfect…

Defensive Pass Rush
Stat Line: 4 sacks, 2 strip sacks/forced fumbles, 1 pass defense, 11 QB Hits

For those who don’t know, here was the sack distribution for the Steelers vs. the Bengals:

Sacks: T.J. Watt (2), Nick Herbig (1), Cam Heyward (1)

It wasn’t just the sacks which was impressive in the win, but the QB Hits. The Steelers were getting to Joe Burrow, and while they gave up a lot of points, it was necessary in the second half. It was in the second half when the Steelers started to dial up blitzes to get Burrow off his spots, and it worked.

Pat Freiermuth
Stat Line: 6 catches, 68 yards, 11.3 ave., 1 TD, 25 long, 7 targets

When you look at Freiermuth’s stat line, it doesn’t seem crazy. The best number I saw on the stat line isn’t the touchdown, or the yards, but the targets. Finally, the Steelers have started to try and get the ball to their talented tight end more during the game. Freiermuth responded with a great game, and broke through the dreaded 40 yard plateau he struggled with the majority of the season. It’s great to see the offense start to dial up the tight ends.

Chunk Plays
Stat Line: 8 Players with catches of 20+ yards

I had to do a double take when I was looking at the box score after the game before we went live on the post-game show. I counted twice, and there were 8 players who had a receiving play of 20+ yards. What was crazier was how Darnell Washington (10 yards) and MyCole Pruitt (18) were both close to being included in this category. The Steelers have been breaking off big plays since Russell Wilson took over at quarterback, and that trend continued in a big way in Week 13.

3rd Down Offense
Stat Line: 4-for-9

I realize the 3rd down offense wasn’t at the 50% plateau I like, but they absolutely had an improved game vs. the Bengals in Cincinnati. Sometimes these stats can get skewed for obvious reasons. If the Steelers kneel out a win in the victory formation, and the final play was a 3rd down, it goes as a failed conversion. When I think about the huge 3rd down play to Van Jefferson, and another to Pat Freiermuth, those were plays which extended drives and resulted in points scored. A huge step in the right direction for the offense.

Receiving Unit
Stat Line: 29 catches, 414 yards, 14.3 ave., 3 TDs, 43 long, 36 targets

There are a lot of receivers I could have on the winner list, but when you look at the team’s total numbers through the air you have to include the entire receiving crew. I get extremely happy when I see players like Ben Skowronek getting an opportunity as a receiver. Same can be said for MyCole Pruitt. These guys who are asked to do all the dirty work, getting them some glory is always fun to see. A great game across the board for the pass catchers.

Takeaways
Stat Line: 3 Takeaways (2 FF, 1 INT, 1 Defensive TD)

Entering Week 13 the Bengals had only turned the ball over 10 times on the season, so it wasn’t as if Cincinnati was turning it over at a ridiculous clip. The Steeles were still able to take it away three times in the game, and they needed every one of those in this victory. Sometimes takeaways can come in bunches and be cyclical, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for this 2024 Steelers team who has taken it away consistently the entire season.

AFC North Victory
Stat Line: 2-1 in the division, still in the lead

With the Steelers not having any division games until the second half of the season, I may have glossed over these games a bit. I believe every division win, especially one on the road, should be on the winners list due to their importance within the division/playoff race. If there is a tie, division record comes into play. The Steelers are 2-1 with a chance to be 3-1 if they can beat the Browns at home in Week 14.

Mike Tomlin
Stat Line: Non-Losing Season

The fans who don’t like Tomlin, and call him Mediocre Mike due to his non-losing season streak, look away. I want to give props to the Steelers head coach for yet another winning season. Do I want to see more? Absolutely, but I can also give props where it’s due, and in this case it’s due to Tomlin always having a competitive team who is capable week in and week out. Now, let’s see what happens when it matters most…

Losers

Clock Management at End of the Half
Stat Line: Absolutely Botched

In his post-game press conference Mike Tomlin was asked if he regrets not calling timeout to have more time to maybe take a shot in the end-zone at the end of the half. He said he wasn’t. I call B.S. on that. To me, that was about as botched of clock management can get at the NFL level. Was it Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving? No, it wasn’t that bad, but it was pretty inexcusable. In a game where you knew you’d need every potential point to win, the Steelers could have missed an opportunity.

Joey Porter Jr.
Stat Line: 4 accepted penalties and extremely sloppy play

I really don’t feel there is much I need to write or say for those who watched the game, but for those who didn’t, let me summarize Joey Porter Jr.’s day.

It was bad.

In fact, it was awful. Porter has always been labeled as “physical” or “handsy”, but this style has crept up and gotten him more than it hasn’t this season. Porter has plenty of doubters now, and the missed interception at the end of the game didn’t help matters in that regard. Sophomore slump? Maybe, but the technique angle of Porter’s play has been atrocious at times this season.

George Pickens
Stat Line: Idiotic plays/penalties

It’s rare a player makes both the Winners and Losers list, but Pickens is in this rarified air after Week 13. While prolific as a pass catcher, his absolutely mind-numbing antics and penalties killed the team on more than one occasion Sunday. The Steelers will tolerate his antics because of the stat line he had, but it absolutely has to calm down moving forward. Mike Tomlin said he has to “grow up” after the game, let’s see if he actually will.

Pass Defense 
Stat Line: CIN – 28 catches, 309 yards, 11.0 ave., 3 TDs, 50 long, 37 targets

The Steelers pass defense was shredded throughout the entire game. Whether it was man coverage or zone concepts, the Bengals passing attack only faltered when the Steelers pass rush was able to get to Joe Burrow or move him off his mark. Not every team has the playmakers the Bengals offense does, but it should force the defensive coaches back to the drawing board trying to fix the issues.

Officiating
Stat Line: Flag Fest is now a weekly event

For those who are curious, there were 20 accepted penalties between both teams for 204 yards. That doesn’t even count the penalties which were declined for whatever reason. At times it felt as if the officials were being paid for minutes on the screen with the amount of time we saw them deciphering and announcing penalties. The most egregious penalty might have been the missed call on George Pickens which resulted in a pick-six when he was pulled down as the ball was on its way. Not a great day for the boys in stripes.

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!