The Pittsburgh Steelers are twelve 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 Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 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

Mike Williams

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be without George Pickens for the foreseeable future, but this isn’t why Mike Williams’ stock is trending in an upward trajectory. No, it’s because of how he played in Week 14 when he was targeted 4 times with 3 catches and the incompletion should have been a completion if not for a bogus Offensive Pass Interference call. His 36 yards receiving isn’t anything to write home about, but his production should be enough to get the attention of Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith. Now, with a full week of preparation without Pickens, I have a feeling Williams will be called upon to do more vs. the Eagles this Sunday. Will he step up in a big way? That has yet to be desired, but his arrow is absolutely trending in the right direction.

Corliss Waitman

Chris Boswell has gotten a lot of love this season, and rightfully so, but I think it’s important to note Corliss Waitman should be getting some positive attention too. Outside of his untimely shank vs. the Browns in Week 12 on Thursday Night Football, Waitman has had a fantastic season. During the early portion of the game Sunday vs. Cleveland, when the offense was sluggish, it was Waitman who bailed them out on more than one occasion. Waitman has been a bright spot after losing Cameron Johnston for the season, and hopefully his stock continues to trend in an upward trajectory.

ILB Group

The past two seasons the Steelers have seen the Steelers completely rebuild the inside linebacker room, and it seems as though they finally have the perfect fit for the Inside Linebacker room. The trio of Payton Wilson, Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts are filling their individual responsibilities to a ‘t’. Since Ryan Shazier’s injury in 2017 the Steelers have gone through a number of free agents and draft picks before finally finding the right combination. Regardless of how long it took, the Steelers have finally connected the dots at the position, and it has shown in a big way this season. If Cole Holcomb is healthy and able to return at any point this season, consider that an added bonus to a group whose stock is already pretty high.

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson’s play vs. the Browns Sunday wasn’t outstanding. Some might even say it was average at best, but what I saw was a quarterback whose “average” day was far better than anything we saw the last 2-3 seasons. Wilson has full command of the offense, and while it might not always be as explosive as we’d like, the Steelers are making plays. Making plays to the tune of averaging 24.8 points per game. They’ll need Wilson to be better than average down the stretch, but the confidence in the offense with him at the helm is reaching new heights.

Pass Rush

The Steelers haven’t gotten to the quarterback as much as fans would like this season, but the past two games the team has seen a pass rush resurgence. The last two games the Steelers have tallied 7 sacks and 17 QB vs. the Bengals and Browns, and the hope is that continues as they prepare to face Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes in the next three games. We’ll have to wait-and-see what that stretch will mean for the pass rush, but in the meantime this part of the team’s defense is seeing their stock headed in a positive direction.

Stock Down

Cordarrelle Patterson

Before the start of the season, when Patterson was still getting back into game shape after starting training camp on the Non-Football Injury List, I wondered if there would be a reason to keep him on the roster. Kickoff returns have remained a non-factor in the game, and Patterson doesn’t have a true fit in the offense. I was proven wrong early in the season, but after Patterson injured his ankle vs. the Colts he hasn’t returned to the same form. His fumble vs. the Browns was un-timely, and it absolutely could be a one-off, but between that and his lack of production recently and you have to see Patterson’s stock trending in the wrong direction.

George Pickens’ Hamstring

We all thought Pickens’ hamstring injury was just going to be him missing one game, and now it seems as if it might be a much longer injury than just one game. We saw how the offense struggled without Pickens, and while I’m holding out hope the team will be more prepared to not have Pickens in Week 15, I can’t help but think struggles will remain until Pickens returns. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse stretch in the season, but maybe Pickens will be cleared to return for the Ravens game, the most important game in this second half. In the meantime, the injury stinks and is why the stock is trending down.

Be sure to follow SCN for all the latest news and updates as the team prepares for the Eagles in Week 15 of the 2024 regular season.