Full Pittsburgh Steelers Awards at the Quarter Mark of the 2014 NFL Season
A quarter of the season is over for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and while the 2-2 record may be a disappointment, not all is bad for Mike Tomlin’s team.
The offensive trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell provides the offense with three elite weapons, while the defense will have to survive as Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier and Ike Taylor all sit with injuries.
There is plenty of season left to play, but the Steelers need their offensive weapons to carry them if they want to have a chance at the playoffs. So far, the offense has held up its end of the bargain but must be even better as the season progresses.
After a strong start to the year, Pittsburgh’s three offensive stars have all made a push for several awards, including team MVP. The season may be young, but here is a look at the award winners for the Steelers at the quarter mark of the season.
Comeback Player of the Year: Sean Spence
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No matter where the Steelers end up by the end of the season, there is no player on the roster—or maybe in the entire league—more deserving of Comeback Player of the Year than Sean Spence.
Linebackers coach Keith Butler once said it would be a “miracle” for Spence to ever step on the field again. But Spence overcame the odds, and Butler was the one to tell him that he would start in place of the injured Shazier on Sunday, per Scott Brown of ESPN.com.
After two long years, Spence was finally able to achieve a dream and run out of the tunnel as a starter in the NFL.
"It's a blessing," Spence told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "God is good. I've been through a lot of things. The tunnel was dark for me for a long time, but I stayed positive. Steeler Nation stayed behind me."
Spence only had three tackles in his starting debut, but that was more than it seemed he would ever get when he suffered a torn ACL, LCL, dislocated knee cap and nerve damage as a rookie in 2012. The long road back to the field is complete, and Spence is the clear and only choice for Comeback Player of the Year for not only the Steelers but maybe the entire league.
Rookie of the Year: Ryan Shazier
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A rookie class that appeared to be promising on paper has not lived up to its high expectations.
Stephon Tuitt and Dri Archer only have had a limited number of opportunities, and Martavis Bryant has been a staple on the inactive list. That leaves Shazier as the only candidate worthy of this award.
Shazier achieved a rare feat when he became the first rookie starter for Pittsburgh’s defense since Kendrell Bell in 2001, per Ron Musselman of The Beaver County Times (subscription required). However, his place in the lineup has not lasted long as he suffered a sprained knee against the Carolina Panthers.
Even with only three starts, Shazier ranks fifth on the team with 14 tackles, including one for a loss. The splash plays haven’t been there yet, but that will come with experience.
Shazier is getting by right now on his athleticism. As a result, he has been prone to making mistakes when defending the run and dropping into coverage. However, he figures to be a fixture in the lineup for a long time and should return to the starting lineup when healthy.
Offensive Player of the Year: Antonio Brown
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Antonio Brown picked up right where he left off from last season and is once again one of the top receivers in the NFL. Through four games, he is tied for third in the league in receptions (29), fourth in yards (427) and tied for first in touchdowns (five).
Brown has also extended his streak of games with at least five receptions and 50-plus yards to 20 after his seven receptions and 131 yards against Tampa Bay, per Ralph N. Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Beyond his stats alone, Brown has simply been the major factor in Pittsburgh’s passing attack. He has caught all but one of Roethlisberger’s touchdown passes, has caught 30 percent of his passes and has nearly 38 percent of the team’s total receiving yards. He even has one completion for 17 yards.
Brown already has two team MVP awards through his first four years in the league. If he continues at this pace, he just may add another to his collection.
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Defensive Player of the Year: Cameron Heyward
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There was once a time when you could go through a list of defenders and be able to pick two or three names worthy of being Defensive Player of the Year. Many of these candidates were some of the best defenders in the entire league.
That is not the case in 2014, as the Steelers lack any playmakers on their defense. There is virtually no pass rush from outside linebackers Jarvis Jones and Jason Worilds. The secondary has struggled once again, and the defense is not designed for the defensive linemen to put up big numbers.
Despite not playing at a premium position, Cameron Heyward is the Defensive Player of the Year so far. Without any top pass-rushers at outside linebacker, Heyward has picked up the slack. Entering the game against Tampa Bay, he led the team with 10 pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Heyward also is tied for the team lead with two sacks and has two tackles for a loss. He was one of the best players on the field in the Steelers' big 37-19 win against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.
Other Awards
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Play of the Year
The season is still young, but there have already been several exciting plays for the Steelers. Against Carolina, Roethlisberger did his best Super Bowl 43 impersonation with a pump fake before hitting Brown in the back of the end zone for a score. Of course, Brown followed this reception up with a spectacular diving reception over Alterraun Verner—albeit with a little offensive pass interference, which wasn’t called.
However, the 81-yard run by Bell was the early highlight of this year. From the patience and speed of Bell as he burst through the hole to the outstanding blocking by David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert on the right side and Maurkice Pouncey and Cody Wallace on the left, it was a perfectly executed play with an outstanding result.
Best Free-Agent Signing
LeGarrette Blount was in the news for the wrong reason back in August when he was charged with marijuana possession. It was not his best moment off the field, but luckily his performance on it has been much better.
Through four games, Blount is the second-leading rusher on the team with 157 yards on 21 carries and an incredible 7.5 yards per carry. He may not be the feature back in the offense, but he is the most productive member of the Steelers’ 2014 free-agent class.
Worst Free-Agent Signing
Mike Mitchell was supposed to provide a boost to the secondary after signing a five-year, $25 million contract with the Steelers. He has not lived up to the contract.
Missed tackles and penalties have plagued Mitchell early in his Steelers career, and the defense continues to allow big plays even with his presence in the secondary. Through four games, he has 17 tackles but no passes defended and no turnovers.
Biggest Disappointment Player
Aside from Mitchell, there is no player more disappointing than Jason Worilds. Sure, you could argue that Cortez Allen never took that next step to earn his new contract, but the Steelers needed a big year from Worilds.
After a strong finish to the 2013 season in which he finished with 63 tackles and eight sacks, Worilds has been nearly invisible in 2014. The $9.745 million that the Steelers are paying him this year has only resulted in six tackles and one sack.
Biggest Surprise Player
Markus Wheaton had a strong training camp, but making the leap from a player with very limited action as a rookie to one in the starting lineup was a big one. So far, he has proven his worth to the offense.
Wheaton has developed into a dependable option, catching 19 passes on 26 targets for 227 yards. He has made the tough receptions and is slowly developing into a big-play threat, with three receptions of 20 yards or more.
Most Valuable Player: Le'Veon Bell
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Bell got into shape this offseason, and that has transformed him as a running back. He is much quicker on his feet and now has the ability to make cuts that is the envy of everybody in the league outside of LeSean McCoy.
Tomlin let Bell know all the way back at his 2013 pro day at Michigan State that he had to lose weight to succeed in the NFL. The second-year running back is proving that his head coach knows what he is talking about, and Tomlin is very pleased with the results, per Scott Brown of ESPN.com:
"He ended last year in the mid-220s. He reported back this year in the mid-220s," Tomlin said. "He has shown he is committed to maintaining a level of conditioning over the course of a 12-month calendar and he has taken off from there. I think his play is reflecting that."
Bell ranks second in the league with 378 yards with an impressive average of 5.3 yards per carry. In addition to his ability as a runner, he has 19 receptions for 192 yards. It is early, but he is one of the most productive running backs in the league.
The only area in which he has struggled is scoring touchdowns, as he only has one this year. But when you factor in the 27 first downs he has produced and five plays of 20 yards or more, Bell has been the Most Valuable Player on the Steelers in 2014.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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