A missed chip shot field goal, two interceptions, a fumble, and a muffed punt. It’s nearly impossible to overcome that number of mistakes in a single game and the Steelers found that out the hard way on Sunday. The Jets took the early lead thanks to scores on their first two possessions and made Pittsburgh one dimensional by shutting down the run early on.
That’s when the blunders took over. Facing a 10-0 deficit the next six possessions went as follows: fumble, interception at the goal line, muffed punt, 53-yard field goal, interception, missed 23-yard field goal. New York needed just a lone field goal in the second half to put the game on ice and collect their second win of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Performances of Note
Antonio Brown, WR: -0.2
Breakdown: The counting stats look like more of the same quality play from Brown. Eight catches on nine targets for 74 yards. It’s only when you factor in the two game-changing blunders from the wideout that things look different. Brown’s fumbled screen pass and muffed punt cost the Steelers two first half possessions and gave the Jets two effortless scoring opportunities.
Signature Play: Just after the two minute warning in the first half Ryan Quiqley struck a low short punt from his own 38-yard line. With just 3.38 seconds of hangtime and the ball tucked outside the numbers, Brown was forced to field the punt on almost a dead sprint. The punt split his outstretched hands and was recovered by the Jets.
Jason Worilds, OLB: -2.2
Breakdown: Worilds, along with the most of the Steelers front, failed to generate consistent pressure. He didn’t collect a single pressure outside of his two sacks. Combine that with multiple plays getting sealed out in the run game and you have the second straight underwhelming performance from the outside linebacker.
Signature Plays: They look great on paper, but Worilds sacks came via Michael Vick diving to the ground on a busted screen pass(Q1-3:08) and a protection mishap that left him unblocked on Vick’s blindside(Q4-14:05)
Ben Roethlisberger, QB: +2.2
Breakdown: The Steelers quarterback isn’t blameless in the Steelers offensive implosion Sunday, but to say it was a bad game for Roethlisberger is unfair. He was accurate on 33 of his 41 targeted passes and went a perfect 8-8 for 115 yards and a touchdown when facing pressure. The 13 points sticks out, though, and Roethlisberger’s forced interception on the first drive of the second half was easily his worst pass since the Browns game.
Signature Stat: Roethlisberger’s 82.5% accuracy over the last three games is the highest in the NFL.
New York Jets – Performances of Note
Jaiquawn Jarrett, FS: +6.8
Breakdown: It doesn’t get much better than this at the safety position. Two picks, a pass break up, a fumble recovery, and a sack made it a career day for the fourth-year safety. All this in his first start of the season where Jarrett played all 66 snaps. What’s even more amazing is that in Jarrett’s entire career prior to the game he had never had a sack, a pass break-up, or an interception.
Signature Stat: Jarrett’s +6.8 grade is currently the third-highest single game grade we’ve ever given to a safety.
Muhammad Wilkerson, DE: +3.6
Breakdown: Another quietly solid performance from Wilkerson. The line as a whole failed to generate much pressure, but Wilkerson held his own with four of the Jets 13 pressures on the day. His best work came in the run game though where he put on a two-gap clinic. Wilkerson controlled almost every block and finished with three stops on the day.
Signature Play: On the first play of the Steelers' second possession, Wilkerson was lined up at left defensive end and Roethlisberger threw a tunnel screen to Antonio Brown. The Jets end read the screen immediately and hit Brown moments after he caught the ball, forcing a fumble
Michael Vick, QB: -3.6
Breakdown: No massive turnaround here for the Jets quarterback as the mistakes were still there, the Steelers just couldn’t capitalize. The dropped interception at the goal line(Q3-4:47), the fumble that wasn’t called(Q2-2:09), and the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that stopped the clock(Q4-1:55) were all possible costly errors that went unpunished.
Signature Play: With 3:30 left in the first quarter, Vick took advantage of the deep safety biting up on the run fake and threw a post route on the money to T.J. Graham for a 67-yard touchdown.
PFF Game Ball
With as good a game as you’ll see all year from a safety, Jaiquawn Jarrett earned this game ball.
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