Pittsburgh Steelers Week 12 Stock Report
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off their Week 11 bye rested and ready to make their push to reach the playoffs. Currently penciled in as the AFC's fifth seed and in line for a wild-card playoff berth, the Steelers need to keep their collective feet on the gas in order to maintain their footing in the AFC.
First up: the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. So, who are the Steelers with rising and falling stocks headed into the contest? Here's the Steelers' stock report headed into Week 12.
Stock Up: Steelers' Playoff Chances
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The final six games of Pittsburgh's 2015 schedule looked to be the most difficult. First, they travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in Week 12 before playing host to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13. Then, they head back on the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, return to Pittsburgh to play the Denver Broncos before closing the season as visitors in Baltimore and then Cleveland.
Five of those six opponents were playoff teams in 2014, and four of the Steelers' final six games are road games.
It was clear, at least when the schedule was released in the spring, that Pittsburgh would have a number of tough contests on its hands while trying to make a late-season push for a playoff berth.
But now, that schedule has gotten considerably easier. Seattle, while certainly not a poor team, has struggled thanks to a poor offensive line and a defense that has been more susceptible to big-time passing offenses. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck isn't likely to play as he continues to nurse kidney and abdominal injuries.
Peyton Manning has been benched—for an indeterminate time—for Brock Osweiler in Denver. Quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Justin Forsett's seasons are over for the Ravens after suffering knee and arm injuries, respectively, in Week 11.
And the Browns—well, they're the Browns, with two wins and eight losses through 10 games.
Currently, only two of the Steelers' six remaining opponents have winning records. And only the Seahawks, Bengals and Browns have not had their seasons marred by major injuries to key starters. What once seemed like a rocky road to playoff glory seems like a much smoother path for Pittsburgh.
Stock Down: QB Mike Vick
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In Week 9, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a mid-foot sprain in the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders that at first suggested that he would be sidelined through the team's Week 11 bye.
But after a few limited practices in the week leading up to the Steelers' meeting with the Cleveland Browns, it was determined that Roethlisberger was healthy enough to serve as the backup to Landry Jones. Mike Vick, 100 percent healed from his late-October hamstring strain, was a healthy scratch.
The curious move only seemed more so when Jones suffered an ankle sprain early in the Browns contest, forcing Roethlisberger on the field. Roethlisberger completed the game without incident and led the Steelers to a 30-9 victory.
However, the game-day roster decisions made by the Steelers' brass only point to one thing: The organization doesn't have much faith in Vick to help it win games.
That Vick was not dressed for the contest in favor of a less-than-healthy Roethlisberger serving as the backup indicates just how little knowledge Vick has of Pittsburgh's offense and the ability to run it. Granted, he only joined the team in late August, but at this point his mastery level should be enough to allow him to back up Jones while Roethlisberger rests.
This not being the case in Week 10 is a strong sign that Vick's NFL career—even as a backup—could be over after the 2015 season wraps up.
Stock Up: QB Ben Roethlisberger
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It's clear, though, that even a less-than-healthy Ben Roethlisberger is still an asset to Pittsburgh's offense. Coming off the bench after Landry Jones sprained his ankle in Week 10, Roethlisberger put on a record-breaking performance.
Even with a heavily taped foot and almost none of his signature mobility, he completed 22 of his 33 pass attempts for 379 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. The 379 yards are the most a quarterback has thrown off the bench in NFL history, and he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors as a result.
The bye week has only allowed Roethlisberger to work on becoming healthy, and he should look more like his typical self on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
This is good news because the Steelers most certainly need Roethlisberger's services for the next six games as they prepare for a deep playoff run.
When an injured Roethlisberger outperforms the rest of the AFC's starting quarterbacks, it's obvious how invaluable he is to his team. Roethlisberger is just starting to heat up, which is great news for the Steelers and a bad omen for the teams who have to try to stop him over the next six weeks.
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Stock Down: LB Ryan Shazier (in Coverage)
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Despite missing four games to injuries this year, inside linebacker Ryan Shazier is the Steelers' fifth-leading tackler with 47 combined and 36 solo. He also has three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
But Shazier is still finding his way when called into pass coverage duty, and his work-in-progress nature against receivers and tight ends has been repeatedly exploited by opposing quarterbacks this year.
According to Pro Football Focus, 182 of Shazier's 378 defensive snaps played this year have been in coverage. He's given up 19 catches on 22 targets thrown his way for 184 yards, 71 yards after the catch and a touchdown. Opposing quarterbacks targeting his area of the field have a quarterback rating of 116.7 this year.
In Week 10 against the Cleveland Browns, Shazier gave up six receptions on six targets to four different Browns players for 72 yards and 29 yards after the catch. Though he didn't allow a touchdown, it's becoming more and more obvious that teams can gain air yards and after-catch yards when targeting Shazier.
While this hasn't been a huge problem for the Steelers this year, with their bend-but-don't-break defensive approach working for the most part, Shazier's struggles in coverage have been a liability.
The good news is that he's come around quickly as both a run defender and pass-rusher. It will only be a matter of time before coverage is something he's just as comfortable with.
Stock Up: WR Martavis Bryant
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While Antonio Brown is the NFL's leading receiver and the Steelers' most potent and effective weapon for moving the chains, he's not the only wideout having a great season.
Martavis Bryant's 2015 season is progressing much as his rookie year did, when it took him until Week 8 to crack the game-day roster and he immediately made a massive impact. In 10 regular-season games last year, Bryant caught 26 of his 49 passing targets for 549 yards and, most notably, eight touchdowns.
This year, Bryant opened the season with a four-game suspension and did not take the field until Week 6. But through five games, he's again the Steelers' big-play, touchdown threat with 22 catches on 42 targets for 440 yards and five scores.
Not only does Bryant draw coverage away from Brown, allowing Brown to make plays in single coverage, but he's also a tall and speedy target who can handle double coverage thanks to his size (6'4", 211 lbs) and physicality.
Brown may be the superstar, but it's Bryant's big plays that have helped the Steelers along to a 6-4 record. He should factor in heavily over the next six games and is likely to be a handful for the Seahawks' Legion of Boom to keep under wraps on Sunday.
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