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Steelers Week 6 Grades In Win Over Buccaneers

(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-2 after a come from behind 26-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It marks the Steelers’ first win streak of the year, and there were plenty of notable performances to grade, so let’s get into it.

QB Aaron Rodgers

Jarrett Bailey: For about 50 minutes, Rodgers was rough. Three points through the first three and a half quarters obviously isn’t a good performance, but what he did in the second half of the fourth quarter and overtime looked a lot like vintage Rodgers. He led two touchdown drives, and all five drives in the fourth quarter and overtime ended with points. He finished with 253 yards and two scores, but also had an interception early in the game, granted it was one that was more on Darnell Washington than Rodgers. Grade: B

Joey Bray: This game made it pretty difficult to evaluate Aaron Rodgers. For much of the first three quarters, the Steelers offense was lifeless and fairly dysfunctional. However, Rodgers stepped up again in the clutch and kept putting the Steelers in positions to win. Rodgers took five sacks that can largely be attributed to his lack of mobility, which certainly showed up in this one. It was a mixed bag, but Rodgers continues to find ways to lead Pittsburgh to wins. Grade: B-

Run game

Jarrett Bailey: There was a time in the game where the Steelers went a dozen straight plays without a run. Granted, they were trying to come back from being down 13 points in the fourth quarter. However, they still finished with an average of four yards per carry, which is baseline play for a mid-level run game. Rico Dowdle had 40 yards on seven carries, so it was a nice return to the lineup for him. Jaylen Warren added 50 rushing yards. Overall, it was a largely fine performance. Grade: C+

Joey Bray: The Steelers backfield was back to more of a split this weekend with the return of Rico Dowdle. That being said, it was still Jaylen Warren leading the way with an over 70% snap share. Warren came into the game red hot coming off of three straight games in which he recorded over 100 scrimmage yards. However, Warren averaged under four yards per carry in a passing game script that in turn, meant less opportunities for him. It was Dowdle who averaged nearly six yards per attempt. The running game was not the focal point of the offense in this one, but it’s not like they played bad either. Grade: C

WR Germie Bernard

Jarrett Bailey: Bernard is going to be this team’s top wide receiver in 2027, and maybe even before the end of 2026. He made an early mistake running back behind the line to gain on fourth down, but more than made up for it throughout the remainder of the contest. He finished with a Steelers rookie receiver record 11 receptions for 87 yards and the game-winning touchdown. He and DK Metcalf were the only receivers to catch a pass in the game, and both made big catch after big catch. This duo has the potential to be a very good one. Grade: A

Joey Bray: You simply cannot be too high on Germie Bernard. The rookie turned his 12 targets into 11 catches for 87 yards and scored his first career touchdown on Sunday, which ended up being the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Bernard has established himself as someone who Rodgers can trust with a high number of targets every week. His playstyle is something that will continue to benefit him well, as his ability after the catch is something the Steelers lacked through their first few games. Bernard should continue to see plenty of work in what is a high volume passing offense. Grade: A+

WR DK Metcalf

Jarrett Bailey: Metcalf catches a lot of flack from Steelers fans, and a good bit of it is warranted. However, he showed up big time in Week 6. He caught 11 passes for 93 yards, including a potential game-saving catch on 3rd-and-13 in overtime that moved the chains. He also threw a key block on the Bernard touchdown, and he was as excited as anyone in the building when the rookie put the ball over the goal line. For all of the shortcomings when he has a game where he only catches three passes for 12 yards, he’s a selfless player and has shown up multiple times when the Steelers have really needed him. Grade: A

Joey Bray: This was Metcalf’s best game of the season in my opinion. The veteran receiver was targeted 15 times on Sunday, as he collected 11 receptions for 93 yards. His 16-yard catch in overtime on 3rd and 13 kept the Steelers alive, eventually allowing them to score. Metcalf was the first to run over and celebrate with Bernard after scoring his first career touchdown. When the Steelers needed him most, Metcalf stepped up and delivered. Grade: A+

Pass rush

Jarrett Bailey: Nick Herbig got his first two sacks of the year in what was by far his best showing of the season. Outside of his performance, though, the Steelers’ pass rushers were somewhat quiet. Neither T.J. Watt nor Alex Highsmith registered a sack, and Jalon Daniels finished in the middle of the pack in terms of the pressure percentage for quarterbacks in Week 6. Grade: B

Joey Bray: You can’t ask for much more than five sacks in a game. It was Nick Herbig who stepped up in a big way and recorded two sacks in the game. It was refreshing to see Herbig sacking the quarterback after not recording a single sack through the team’s first five games. Yahya Black put together a nice game as he also got in on the action recording a sack. Overall, the Steelers pass rush did just enough to make life uncomfortable for the undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels. Grade: B+

CB Jamel Dean

Jarrett Bailey: Dean set a Steelers record with six passes broken up against his former team, and his interception was one of the final pieces of the comeback. When the Steeler signed Dean, they expected him to be the CB2 opposite Joey Porter Jr. With Porter gone, he has stepped up and been a reliable No. 1. If he can stay healthy, he can be one of the pieces the defense revolves around: Grade: A+

Joey Bray: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a chance by choosing not to re-sign Jamel Dean this past offseason. It certainly seemed like Dean made it his mission to let them know they made a mistake this past Sunday. If that was his intention, mission accomplished. Dean came into the game nursing an ankle injury that caused him to miss Week 5, and even left the game injured at one point before returning. When he was on the field, the Steelers’ secondary looked significantly better. Dean made the play of the day when he intercepted Daniels late in the game, allowing the Steelers to take their first lead of the game. Dean is the Steelers’ best corner, and Week 6 showed that. Grade: A+

DB Jalen Ramsey

Jarrett Bailey: Ramsey racking up 10 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks with a broken frickin’ wrist (shoutout to Pittsburgh native Kurt Angle) is the type of stuff leaders do. They don’t complain, they don’t make excuses – they just show up and make plays. He’s become one of the Steelers’ irreplaceable pieces on that side of the ball. Grade: A+

Joey Bray: Jalen Ramsey set a career high last season with three sacks. The veteran corner recorded two sacks in this game alone. All of this is being done with a broken wrist, mind you, which has not slowed Ramsey down in the slightest. The defensive back is one of the Steelers’ most impactful defenders, and sealed another win for the team with his second sack of the contest on Sunday. Grade: A+

Defense

Jarrett Bailey: There are still things we see on a weekly basis that worry me. The yards over the middle of the field are a concern, but when you only allow two touchdowns in two games, that’s something you can hang your hat on. Still, it’s not an A-worthy game when an undrafted rookie takes you to the brink. Grade: B

Joey Bray: It didn’t look pretty early, but the Steelers defense came through in the clutch. Five sacks and two timely turnovers are an effort that is hard to be upset with. The Steelers seemed to step outside of their comfort zone on Sunday and send plenty of heat towards the rookie quarterback they were facing. Overall, Pittsburgh held Tampa Bay to just 266 yards of total offense and stepped up in the clutch. Grade: A

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