Pittsburgh Steelers Week 3 Stock Report

The Pittsburgh Steelers shook off the sting of their Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots by heading home and decisively defeating the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 43-18.

It was a masterful performance, particularly by the offense as well as the defensive front seven. But not everything went as planned. Some players underperformed while others made marked improvements from their Week 1 showing.

Here are the players whose stocks are rising and falling for the Steelers as they prepare to face the St. Louis Rams in Week 3. 

Stock Up: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey

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In Week 1, receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey did the Steelers few favors by not noticing he was out of bounds in the end zone, negating a would-be touchdown pass. He caught only four of the seven passes thrown his way for 58 yards.

He redeemed himself in Week 2, however. Heyward-Bey managed to hang on to a 41-yard touchdown pass and ended the day with four catches on five targets for 77 yards and the score.

Heyward-Bey has been the receiver stepping in for the suspended Martavis Bryant and has emerged as a deep threat, much as Bryant did a year ago. While Heyward-Bey will be relegated to primarily special teams once Bryant returns in Week 5, he's at least managed to handle his expanded role better than he did in Week 1.

Stock Down: RB DeAngelo Williams

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It's not that Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams has done anything wrong. In fact, it's quite the contrary. Through two games as the Steelers' starter in place of the suspended Le'Veon Bell, he's rushed 41 times for 204 yards, is averaging just under five yards per carry and has three rushing touchdowns.

The problem? Bell is back this week, which means Williams will be back to being Bell's No. 2. Head coach Mike Tomlin (via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) said on Tuesday that, "I'm going to play Le'Veon Bell," and though he did praise Williams, saying "I can't say enough about the contributions of DeAngelo Williams," it's difficult to be optimistic about Williams' role going forward.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger envisions the two being involved in the offense, saying, "we can put them both on the field at the same time. I think Le'Veon is so dangerous out of the backfield, you know, put them both on the field and use one as a screen, the other as a runner, who knows? I think the possibilities could be endless."

Still, Tomlin is spending his week focusing on Bell, adding that the team will figure out how to use Williams. He also noted, "if Bell is available, we will use him." Though touches are certainly in Williams' future, his days of 20-plus carries for the Steelers this year are now over.

Stock Up: ILB Ryan Shazier

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Steelers inside linebacker Ryan Shazier is finally healthy in his second season in the NFL, and he's making a positive on-field impact. 

Shazier led the team in tackles in Week 2 against the 49ers, with 15 total and 11 solo, and also had one tackle for loss and a quarterback hit. Through two weeks, he's Pro Football Focus' 13th-ranked inside linebacker (out of 50).

It hasn't all been flawless for Shazier, particularly in coverage, where Pro Football Focus noted he allowed seven of eight passes thrown his way to be caught in Week 2 for 50 total yards and 18 yards after the catch.

Shazier's coverage skills may be a work in progress, but disrupting quarterbacks and stuffing the run are quickly becoming his two clear strengths. He should only get better with more on-field time.

Stock Down: CB Brandon Boykin

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For unknown reasons, Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin didn't see a single down of playing time in Week 1 against the New England Patriots, even after the team traded a fifth-round draft pick to take him off of the Philadelphia Eagles' hands during the summer.

But because of an injury to fellow cornerback Cortez Allen, Boykin saw action in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers. And it wasn't the best start to his Steelers career.

Boykin had just one tackle and one pass defensed. Otherwise, he gave up two catches on three targets for 32 yards and, most importantly, the touchdown scored by Niners receiver Torrey Smith.

Though the Steelers defeated the 49ers 43-18, coverage like Boykin's is a liability regardless. And it wasn't just Boykin on Sunday; the Steelers' entire coverage unit struggled yet again, allowing 33 receptions on 45 Colin Kaepernick passes for 335 yards, including 126 yards after the catch and two touchdowns. They combined for just three passes defensed and had no interceptions.

Boykin was brought on this summer in the hopes he'd make the Steelers' struggling secondary better. But he's struggling just the same as his defensive teammates right now.

Stock Up: LB Bud Dupree

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Rookie outside linebacker Bud Dupree has already made his presence felt in the Steelers' pass rush, which is good news; that's precisely why the team drafted him in Round 1 of the 2015 NFL draft.

Through two games, Dupree has two sacks. He also had a tackle for loss against the 49ers in Week 2. Like any young player, Dupree is still learning how to master his position, but the fact that he's averaging one sack per week right now is a good sign he can get to where the Steelers need him to be quickly.

Pittsburgh desperately needs to find ways to adversely affect opposing quarterbacks, given how much its coverage is struggling to prevent receptions. Creating pressure up front is necessary to help minimize the secondary's weakness, and Dupree sacking quarterbacks will only make the entire Steelers defense better.