Pittsburgh Steelers Week 5 Stock Report

At 2-2 following their loss in Week 4 to the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently in second place in the AFC North. But even with starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out for at least a month with a knee injury, that doesn't mean their season or their playoff hopes are doomed.

But the Steelers will need all hands on deck to bring the team to a winning record by the time Roethlisberger returns. Here are the players helping that effort, as well as those hurting it, in the form of a Steelers Week 5 player stock report.

Stock Up: The Defensive Front Seven

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The Steelers defensive front seven is already miles ahead of where it was a year ago, particularly where rushing the passer is concerned. In 2014, the Steelers defense totaled just 33 sacks on the season; right now, through four games, it has 14, 13 of which have been earned by the team's front seven.

Five of those players each earned a sack on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco in Week 4: Linebackers Lawrence Timmons, Sean Spence and James Harrison, and defensive ends Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward. The Steelers front also totaled eight tackles for a loss in the game.

Given the struggles that the Steelers secondary has had this year, a strong pass-rushing front is necessary in order to minimize those weaknesses. And so far, that front has come on for the team in a big way, something that should continue on Monday night against the San Diego Chargers, who are missing three of their starting five offensive linemen.

Stock Down: CB Brandon Boykin

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When the Steelers traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for cornerback Brandon Boykin in the summer, it seemed like Boykin was destined to crack the Steelers' starting defense, or at least serve as their primary slot cornerback. But based on the developments in Week 4, it's possible we won't be seeing too much of Boykin, except in an emergency.

Cornerback Cortez Allen did not play against the Ravens last week, but even though Boykin dressed for the game, he did not play a single snap. Instead, Pittsburgh's cornerback duties fell to William Gay, Antwon Blake and Ross Cockrell.

The more Cockrell plays, the less the likelihood we'll see much of Boykin going forward. And with Allen hurt, and Boykin still not getting any playing time, it doesn't look good for him to earn the mantle of "starter" any time soon.

Stock Up: QB Michael Vick

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Quarterback Mike Vick had only 3.5 days to prepare to be the Steelers starter, having had to face the Baltimore Ravens the Thursday night following a Sunday afternoon game. And he handled it as well as can be expected: He completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 124 yards and a touchdown, and rushed nine times for 33 yards.

But it could have been better. A short week of preparation meant an awkward connection between Vick and star Steelers receiver Antonio Brown; Brown had only five catches for 42 yards. Tight end Heath Miller saw only two targets on the day, catching one pass for one yard.

In Week 5, things should be both different and better. Vick will have had 10 days to get ready to face the San Diego Chargers, 10 days to work with Brown, Miller and the rest of the Steelers' first-string offense and 10 days to master some plays and at least learn a few others. 

Vick and Ben Roethlisberger are two very different players, which means a period of adjustment for Vick and the rest of the Steelers offense is to be expected. And with a longer one than the team had last week, the returns should be even better.

Stock Down: LBs Sean Spence, Vince Williams

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For the last two weeks, inside linebackers Sean Spence and Vince Williams have been splitting reps while starter Ryan Shazier has been sidelined with a shoulder injury. It was much the same in 2014, when Spence and Williams had to step in for the hurt Shazier.

But it looks like Shazier will be playing against the Chargers on Monday night, likely sending both Spence and Williams back to the bench for all but a handful of plays. In Week 4 against the Ravens, Spence and Williams played well—the former had seven total tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack, while the latter had four combined tackles. 

Shazier is the starter, though, and was a force on defense in Weeks 1 and 2, with 22 combined tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Spence and Williams are talented players and can step in when called upon, but with Shazier back on the field, their snaps will diminish significantly. 

Stock Up: RB Le'Veon Bell

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There are numerous players on the Steelers roster who can help out quarterback Mike Vick, but none may be as important as running back Le'Veon Bell.

Not only is he an effective running back, but he's also a highly reliable receiver as well as a pass protector. That means he can take the pressure off of Vick in three different ways, all while earning yards after the catch and after contact.

Bell had a good day against the Ravens in Week 4, rushing 22 times for 129 yards and a touchdown while also catching seven passes on seven targets for an additional 21 yards. With the Chargers ranking 30th against the run and 29th in defending passes thrown to running backs this year, according to Football Outsiders, this looks like it's setting up for a good week for Bell.

All Vick has to do is hand the ball off to Bell or flip it to him behind the line of scrimmage and let him do the rest of the work. And that work should be significant for the Steelers, based on how the Chargers defense has performed thus far.