Full Pittsburgh Steelers Awards at Halfway Point of the 2014 Season
At 3-3, the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to be on the verge of another season of mediocrity. Two weeks and two wins later and the mood has taken a dramatic shift in Pittsburgh.
Left for dead against the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers needed a near-perfect game to come out with a victory. That is exactly what they got behind Ben Roethlisberger and the offense. He threw for a team-record 522 yards and six touchdowns in an impressive 51-34 victory over one of the top teams in the AFC.
The win leaves the Steelers at 5-3 at the halfway point of the season and in contention for an AFC North title. A big step toward a division crown comes on Sunday as Mike Tomlin’s team kicks off its second half of the season against the rival Baltimore Ravens.
But before the second half starts, here is a look back at some of the standout players of the first eight games of the season. After a careful examination of the impact of each player, here are the midseason award winners for the Steelers.
Comeback Player of the Year: Sean Spence
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As I wrote one month ago, the Comeback Player of the Year for the Steelers is Sean Spence’s to lose. He took over in the starting lineup for an injured Ryan Shazier, which was something that was hard to believe after a devastating knee injury he suffered during his rookie year in 2012.
The fact that Spence is even able to get on the field, let alone start, is impressive. Curt Popejoy of Bleacher Report described the feeling many had regarding his presence in the lineup:
"Every play Sean Spence makes is such a victory for that young man.
— Curt Popejoy (@NFLdraftboard) October 21, 2014"
Spence has put up some modest stats in 2014 with 24 tackles and one fumble recovery. However, his time may be limited moving forward. After recording a season-high six tackles in Week 7, Spence only had one tackle against the Colts as he logged just one defensive snap, per Football Outsiders.
With Shazier back in the lineup and Vince Williams playing well, Tomlin will have a decision to make when it comes to snaps, per Josh Taylor of TribLive Radio:
"Tomlin says team will use combination of Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams & Sean Spence at ILB, along with Lawrence Timmons.
— Josh Taylor (@_JoshTaylor_) October 28, 2014"
Even if Spence is phased out of the defense, his accomplishments in 2014 have been impressive and enough to earn him the Comeback Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year: Martavis Bryant
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As long as he continues to make plays, maybe everyone will learn that his name is Martavis, not Martavius, Bryant.
The big-play rookie receiver from Clemson came into the NFL as a raw fourth-round draft pick who had the potential to contribute as a deep receiver and a red-zone threat. He has only played in two regular-season games, but Bryant is showing that he could be the playmaker the Steelers desire opposite Antonio Brown.
"Martavis Bryant showing why a lot of people loved his upside at Clemson.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) October 21, 2014
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Bryant has seven receptions on 12 targets for 123 yards and an impressive 17.6 yards per reception. Against the Houston Texans, he caught one pass for 52 yards and had a chance at another big play, but he dropped what should have been an easy reception with nothing but open space ahead of him.
Not only has Bryant been able to develop into a big-play threat, but he has also converted these into points. He has three touchdowns in two games, including a beautiful toe-dragging reception for his first career touchdown, and he high-pointed the ball for a red-zone touchdown last week.
It is very early in Bryant’s development as a receiver, but he already has more impact plays than anyone else in the rookie class. As long as he continues to develop, he will challenge for more snaps as the No. 2 receiver for Ben Roethlisberger.
As far as Roethlisberger goes, he likes the approach the Steelers are taking with the rookie, via Scott Brown of ESPN.com:
"The more he plays the more A.B. is going to benefit from it because he is a threat," Roethlisberger said. "We'll just continue to develop him. I think the key is not to do too much, just keep him right where he is and keep making plays."
Bryant may not be able to keep up at his current pace, but that is just fine. He is making enough plays to make defenses focus their attention on him, and this will only mean good things for the rest of the offense in the second half of the season.
Offensive Player of the Year: Antonio Brown
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As though there is any question, Antonio Brown isn’t just one of the best playmakers on the Steelers, but he is one of the best in the entire league. His two touchdowns against the Colts—including a one-handed reception—were yet additional evidence for this.
On the season, Brown leads the NFL with 60 receptions, is second in yards (852), tied for fourth in touchdowns (seven), second in receptions of 20 yards or more (13), ranks ninth in yards after reception (258) and second in receiving first downs (40). He also averages an impressive 14.2 yards per reception. He has achieved all of this without a true No. 2 receiver opposite of him.
What separates Brown from Le’Veon Bell, who has also had an outstanding season, is his touchdown production. His seven touchdowns far surpass any other offensive weapon. Bryant is second on the team with three touchdown receptions. By comparison, Bell only has two touchdowns on 183 touches.
At this news conference, Tomlin had very high praise for his star receiver, via Bob Labriola of Steelers.com:
"He’s one of the best in the world at what he does. (Antonio) is physically and mentally on top of his game, and when you have somebody who’s playing like that, you step into a stadium and he’s a known issue but still he performs. We say similar things about guys like J.J. Watt. We knew what he was capable of when we were getting ready to play the Houston Texans, but it still doesn’t stop the storm from coming. Antonio is playing at that type of a level from a wide receiver standpoint, a J.J. Watt discussion kind of a level. I’m glad that he’s on our team.
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Brown is having an All-Pro season and, as Tomlin said, is one of the best players in the entire league. Not only is he a candidate for offensive player of the year, but he will garner serious consideration for team MVP.
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: Lawrence Timmons
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Lawrence Timmons is always one of the Steelers' best and most consistent defenders. He has lived up to his talent once again this year as he leads the team in tackles with 67. He also has four tackles for a loss and one sack.
Timmons has done much of his work without an established inside linebacker next to him as Shazier, Spence and Williams have all played a significant number of snaps. He is playing as physical as he ever has and is the key to the defense each week.
The most memorable play, dubbed the “Immaculate Projection” by Dejan Kovacevic of Dejan on Pittsburgh Sports, was something Timmons would rather forget, but it was one that symbolized how the Steelers played defense. Nothing better described their play than Timmons puking on the field.
However, he bounced back to have one of his best games of the year with 12 tackles, including one for a loss and a sack. On the downside, he has struggled in coverage and was beat by Dwayne Allen for a touchdown against the Colts last week.
Without an impact player on the defensive side, the Defensive Player of the Year has to go with the guy who comes out and brings it every week. That man is Timmons.
Other Awards
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Play of the Year
Earlier this season, I called the 81-yard run by Le’Veon Bell as the best play of the year. From Bell’s speed to the blocking by the offensive line, it was a beautiful play to watch. However, since then, there have been several incredible plays.
Martavis Bryant’s first career touchdown reception in which he dragged his feet in the back of the end zone was impressive, but it was another touchdown reception that will earn the nod here.
Antonio Brown is having an All-Pro season, and that was highlighted by his one-handed touchdown reception over Greg Toler of the Colts. Of course, Brown made the catch look routine, but that does not change how impressive it was.
The play came after Indianapolis jumped offside on a field-goal attempt, which gave the Steelers a second chance. Roethlisberger and Brown made the Colts pay as they connected on a fade pass for the score to give the Steelers a 28-10 lead.
Best Free-Agent Signing
LeGarrette Blount continues to be the Steelers' best free-agent signing. He is one of the few impact players they signed but has done very well as the primary backup to Bell.
Blount has 253 yards on 50 carries and a healthy 4.9 yards-per-carry average. Though he has not converted his rushes into touchdowns, he has done enough to ease the load off Bell and should continue to do so as the season progresses.
Worst Free-Agent Signing
With Mike Mitchell picking up his play, the worst signing this offseason is goes to Cam Thomas. He was supposed to play in a backup role but was thrust into the starting lineup with the lack of experience at defensive end and an injury to Steve McLendon.
"I love the play where Cam Thomas was rushing 1 against 5. I'm not sure he could get near QB 1 on 0
— Joe Starkey (@JoeStarkey1) October 13, 2014"
Though he has had some bright moments, he is often pushed off the ball and is the subject of criticism every week. The fewer snaps he gets, the better it is for the defense.
Biggest Disappointment Player
Dri Archer was a hot-button topic from the moment he was drafted in the third round. While some thought he could be an impact playmaker, others felt he was too small in the NFL and was another Chris Rainey. So far, the latter has proved to be right.
General manager Kevin Colbert was optimistic for Archer, especially as a returner, per Scott Brown of ESPN.com:
"In my mind, return guys are starters," Colbert said. "His kick-return ability is unique. It really is special. Whatever he can add to us offensively, we see some value there."
Archer ranks outside of the top 20 in qualified kick returners with an average of 17.9 yards per return. Outside of kick returns, he only has one punt return for two yards and 11 offensive touches for 46 yards. By no means was this the type of impact the Steelers envisioned when they drafted him.
Biggest Surprise Player
Brett Keisel was left unsigned all summer but has been the Steelers' best defensive end since rejoining the team during training camp. According to the Steelers' communications coordinator, Burt Lauten, Keisel led the team with 11 quarterback pressures as of Week 7.
In additions to his pressures, Keisel has one tackle for a loss, three passes defensed and one interception. His play has eased the burden on Thomas and rookie Stephon Tuitt at defensive end.
Most Valuable Player: Ben Roethlisberger
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Ben Roethlisberger is coming off not only the best game of his career, but one of the best individual performances by a quarterback in NFL history.
Roethlisberger threw for 500 yards for the second time in his career, which made him the first player in NFL history to achieve this feat (h/t Bob Labriola of Steelers.com). His 522 yards and six touchdowns both were the best of his career, and he became the fourth quarterback to win 100 games in his first 150 played.
After his historic game, Roethlisberger ranks second in the NFL with 2,380 yards all while completing an impressive 68.4 percent of his passes, which is third in the league. He now has 16 touchdowns to only three interceptions and a passer rating of 105.6.
Following the Steelers' 3-3 start, Roethlisberger appears to be hitting his stride with 787 yards and eight touchdowns over the past two games. Not only is he playing at team-MVP level, but this is the type of performance you expect from a league MVP.
There is no more important player on the Steelers' roster, and there is no player on the roster playing better right now than Roethlisberger. He is the key player each week and has the Steelers in contention for the AFC North title at the halfway point of the year.
Some may argue that Brown is one of the main reasons why Roethlisberger is so successful, but you have to look at a game like last week where Roethlisberger connected with nine different receivers—and it could have been 10 if not for a drop by Archer.
However, when it comes to evaluating the play of Roethlisberger, no one put it better than Maurkice Pouncey, via Teresa Varley of Steelers.com:
"He is awesome. He is a Hall of Fame quarterback. He does a great job of leading this team. As you can tell he can make big-time plays and have big-time games as well. He is awesome. We love seeing big time plays like that. When he has receivers that make the big time catches and plays like that, it all looks great.
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David DeCastro added:
"I think there is something to be said about giving him time, he’s so talented. Not letting him get hit, letting him do his thing and get in that rhythm. When you give him time he is a special player. We take pride in that.
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For years, people talked what the Steelers offense could look like with good play from the offensive line. Roethlisberger gave everyone a taste of that on Sunday, and there will be more to come over the second half of the season.
Roethlisberger won’t replicate his performance against the Colts again—or you wouldn’t think so—but he doesn’t need to. He just needs to keep playing at a high level, and the Steelers will follow and have a chance at their first playoff appearance since 2011.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com, and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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