Pittsburgh’s special teams struggled all game. After Marshall McFadden was penalized for being illegally down field on a punt, the Steelers allowed a blocked punt. Later in the game, returner David Gilreath botched a punt, which resulted in a turnover, and made a bonehead play of fielding a punt on Pittsburgh’s own three-yard line.
Although he didn’t beat anyone deep in this game, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders came up big on the Steelers’ first scoring drive with three catches for 27 yards. Looks like Pittsburgh did the right thing by keeping him on board.
Many Steeler fans were disappointed not seeing rookie LeVeon Bell play, but that discontent was long gone when they saw running back LaRod Stephens-Howling run up and down the field. Stephens-Howling carried the ball seven times for a game-high 40 yards. It’s safe to say that he’ll be on the 53-man roster.
Even though Jason Worilds recorded a sack against the Giants, his two roughing-the-passer penalties within a three-play span didn’t help his chances of claiming the starting right outside linebacker spot. Rookie Jarvis Jones didn’t have a spectacular game, but he did show great hustle in recovering a fumble in the backfield and making a solid open-field tackle in the flat.
Let’s hope that cornerback Cortez Allen will be set to go real soon, because William Gay doesn’t seem to be the answer as the Steelers’ No. 2 cornerback. Though he could have used some help from the safety, Gay was beat in the first quarter for a 57-yard touchdown pass. That play only gives Allen a better chance to win that starting spot.
Clyde A. Speller is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClydeASpeller, or add him to your network on Google+
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