The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday for their second consecutive win.
Coming off the bye week, the Steelers had more confidence than they arguably had all season. They had just beaten their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. To add to the victory, star receiver Diontae Johnson was making his return from injury in L.A.
Johnson certainly made an impact in his return to the gridiron with five catches for 79 yards. The University of Toledo graduate was his usual shifty self, making defensive players miss left and right.
With the addition of Johnosn back into the offense, Pittsburgh looked less helpless than they usually do. The offense wasn’t bad which isn’t something that’s been said often over the past few years.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett looked comfortable as he made good decisions and even better throws on a consistent basis. Pickett’s favorite receiver, George Pickens, made his presence known by recording five catches for 107 yards. Pickens now has back to back games with at least 100 receiving yards.
The run game was also effective with both Jaylen Warren andNajee Harris finding the end zone. Kenny Pickett even got a rushing touchdown of his own with his sneak in the third quarter. Though it’s worth noting that sneak was made possible by a game changing interception by T.J. Watt.
Joey Porter Jr. is a player that hasn’t gotten nearly enough playing time. Porter proved this point by showcasing his great man coverage ability against some of the NFL’s top receivers. It seemed as if anytime the former Nittany Lion was covering Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua they were covered.
Though Porter has been phenomenal in coverage, the same can’t be said for the rest of the secondary. One of the more pressing issues on the team ,other than the offensive coordinator, has been the pass coverage. Patrick Peterson is showing his age and Levi Wallace may just be bad.
Rams’ rookie receiver Puka Nacua was unbelievable against Pittsburgh as he finished the day with eight catches for a whopping 154 yards. Puka was open a lot more often than he wasn’t as Peterson and Wallace looked helpless when on his side of the field.
With the win the Steelers improve their record to 4-2. If you told me after Week 1 that the Steelers were going to be 4-2 I would’ve laughed in your face. Pittsburgh now sits just a half game behind the Baltimore Ravens for the division lead.
The NFL season is a long one and absolutely anything could happen. The Steelers have proven this to be true with their unpredictable play through their first few games. Pittsburgh will look forward to their next game where they’ll host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville will be well rested after beating the Saints last Thursday.
