The Pittsburgh Steelers are eleven games into the regular season, and that means it’s time to track who has done well, stock up, and who hasn’t, stock down, as the team turns the page to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 of the regular season.

As always, these are just my lists, so feel free to voice your opinion in the comment section below.

Stock Up

Darnell Washington

For a player who has been trending in the right direction almost the entire season, look no further than Darnell Washington. While he struggles with pre-snap penalties on the road, he has steadily become more and more of a target for Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith. We went form almost an entire season with 7 targets, and he is getting that in nearly two games at this juncture. What’s crazy is I still feel like the team could be using him better moving forward. Maximizing mismatches and utilizing him into the red-zone more. Nonetheless, Washington has been a pleasant surprise on the offensive side of the ball this season.

Chunk Offensive Plays

Don’t look now, but the Steelers are starting to move the ball in chunks on the offensive side of the ball. This usually is accompanied by higher point totals, but in the Week 12 loss to the Browns, the Steelers had over six plays, both run and pass, which went for over 15 yards. In the past the fan base would be starved for chunk plays, and they are finally getting it with the Russell Wilson led offense. Let’s hope this trend continues moving forward.

Patrick Queen

Washington has been trending up all season, but since the first three games of the season Queen has been on that same trajectory. Queen is a guy who is settling in, and is looking more and more like the high priced free agent the Steelers acquired this past offseason. Queen led the team in tackles again in Week 12, and the defense is starting to utilize his speed and athleticism more by blitzing him more. The more Queen can take on, the more versatile and dynamic the Steelers defense will become.

Stock Down

Connor Heyward

Before the season I was wondering if there was a spot on the roster for Connor Heyward. With the signing of MyCole Pruitt and the drafting of Darnell Washington, it seemed as if Heyward would have to carve out a unique role on the team. I would argue he hasn’t filled out that role yet, and his pay on Thursday night might have been his worst of his career. Pre-snap penalties and missed blocks were the theme of the day for Heyward. Needless to say, Heyward’s stock is trending in the wrong direction.

Najee Harris

This absolutely might be more about the offensive line than it is on Harris as a runner, but the past three games we’ve seen the following totals from Najee:

Rushing Yards:

53
63
41

No ideal after rattling off three straight 100+ yard games prior to the current downturn. Harris has proven capable, but for some reason the defenses the Steelers have faced have been stacked up to stop Harris. Let’s hope he gets out of this current “funk” in a big way in Week 13.

Justin Fields Package

We were all tantalized by the thought of Justin Fields being on the field again in some capacity. We saw flashes of brilliance vs. the Ravens, but not so much vs. the Browns. The Steelers finally were able to put the ball in the air with Fields in the game, but it wasn’t successful. The package looks like a giant red flag, and it wasn’t a shock the team didn’t see the same success they had in Week 11 as they did in Week 12. If this is still going to be a thing, it’s time to get creative Arthur Smith.

Cordarrelle Patterson

The Steelers had hopes in Patterson as a return man, as well as a utility player. Early in the season Patterson was a non-factor as a returner, but was dynamic as a runner. Then he got injured in Indianapolis and hasn’t been the same since returning from that ankle injury. Patterson looks slow, and what he provides in the return game is essentially a non-factor. If Patterson can get healthy, and return to his pre-Indianapolis form, he can absolutely be a valuable asset to this offense. Until then, it seems his stock is trending in the wrong direction.

Mike Williams usage

Maybe we all got spoiled with Mike Williams in his lone target/reception vs. the Washington Commanders when he hauled in the game-winning touchdown. Nonetheless, as we thought his role would be expanding, it isn’t doing anything really. We had high hopes for Williams and the future, but it seems as if we’ll have to wait and see if there is anything more than just that one play made by Williams to somehow impact the offense in a positive way.

Short Yardage Offense

The Steelers are built to be a tough, grind-it-out team, but they are not very good in short-yardage situations. 3rd and short, 4th and short, doesn’t matter. They don’t discriminate, they are bad at both. The key for this team when they develop 3rd and manageable situations is to be able to convert when they should. The problem is, they aren’t able to do this on a consistent basis. If the Steelers can improve their short-yardage offense they’ll be a much more adept unit who can not just rely on chunk plays, but can get the tough yards when it’s absolutely necessary.

Be sure to follow SCN for all the latest news and updates as the team prepares for the Bengals in Week 13 of the 2024 regular season.