What We Saw: Week 6

The What We Saw team recaps everything you missed from Sunday's action

Ben Brown
What We Saw 2 Years Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Commanders @ Bears
49ers @ Falcons
Patriots @ Browns
Jets @ Packers
Jaguars @ Colts
Vikings @ Dolphins
Bengals @ Saints
Ravens @ Giants
Buccaneers @ Steelers
Panthers @ Rams
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Bills @ Chiefs
Cowboys @ Eagles

Buccaneers @ Steelers

Final Score: Steelers 20, Buccaneers 18

Writer: Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL on Twitter)

 

Tom Brady is no stranger to the stadium formerly known as Heinz Field (I don’t want to learn the new name). He came into this game with a 4-3 regular season record, as well as two AFC Championship victories. His current Buccaneers squad likely isn’t as good as those juggernaut New England teams, but the Bucs still have plenty of offensive talent.

Despite that offensive talent, the Bucs struggled in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The Steelers’ defense showed up to play, getting plenty of pressure on Brady and defending the pass well. Chris Godwin had seven targets in the 1st half but only converted two of them into catches. Brady was clearly flustered by the constant pressure he faced, and the offense never really got into a rhythm as a result.

For Pittsburgh, Kenny Pickett did a good job of avoiding negative plays and gave the Steelers a chance to win. Unfortunately, Pickett was knocked out of the game in the 2nd half with a concussion after he was sacked and his head bounced off the turf. Mitch Trubisky came in and played well en route to leading the Steelers to a victory.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Quarterback

 

Tom Brady: 25/40, 243 Yards, TD | 1 Carry

 

 

Spoiler alert: Brady had some notes. Tom Brady was sacked twice in the first half, and the Steelers’ defense had no trouble getting to the 45-year-old GOAT. Brady was rightfully frustrated with his offensive line, and their poor play resulted in a strip sack (thankfully recovered by Chris Godwin) and multiple underthrows by Brady with a defender in his face. This was as much a testament to how well Pittsburgh’s defense played as it was an indictment of the Bucs’ offensive line woes, as Pittsburgh showed up to play. One has to think that Brian Flores, the former DC for the Patriots (while Brady was there) who is now a senior defensive assistant for Pittsburgh, had some input in this game that helped lead to their success.

When Brady had time to throw, he was vintage Brady. He threw a dime to Godwin in between three defenders that Godwin went up to get. He had another great throw to Russell Gage in the end zone that Gage couldn’t come down with. Unfortunately, this was the exception and not the rule on Sunday. Brady was even unsuccessful on a QB sneak for the first time in as long as I can remember. Chalk this up to a bad day simply because of a good defensive showing.

 

Running Back

 

Leonard Fournette: 21 Carries, 63 Yards | 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 38 Yards, TD

Rachaad White: 4 Carries, 12 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 11 Yards

 

This seemed like it was going to be a big Leonard Fournette game after the first couple of drives. He broke a few nice runs of 13, 7, and 6 yards on their second drive of the game, but only ran for 37 more yards the rest of the day. Pittsburgh did a nice job of bottling him up and he simply had no room to run for much of the day. Fournette had an opportunity for a TD early in the game but was stuffed at the one-yard line and they never went back to him. Lenny saved his day through the air, however, catching all six targets and putting one into the end zone. He was the only playmaker that Brady could rely on in this game.

Rachaad White was quiet on the day, however he had two notable plays. He caught a screen to convert 3rd and short on a drive that led to points, and later had a drop across the middle of the field and I don’t remember hearing his name again after that. He is still 2nd fiddle to Lenny in this offense.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Chris Godwin: 12 Targets, 6 Receptions, 95 Yards, 1 Fumble (Recovered)

Mike Evans: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 42 Yards

Cade Otton: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards

Russell Gage: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 20 Yards

Cameron Brate: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards

Breshad Perriman: 1 Target

 

 

Not so fast, my friend! Chris Godwin had a very disappointing game, and much of this disappointment was due to poor throws from Brady (which were a result of bad offensive line play). Most incompletions his way were short and low, which Godwin didn’t really have a shot at catching. He did drop a pass early in the game, a short crosser that would have like resulted in five yards. Considering he came up five yards short of 100 on the day, that’s a huge drop for anyone who plays in leagues that give a 100-yard bonus. In Draftkings, that play was the difference between a 20-point game and the 15.5-point game he resulted in. So it goes…

Mike Evans disappeared in this game. I have no notes for his performance, and his box score was pretty mediocre. Brady simply didn’t look his way in this game and I don’t have a good answer for why.

Russel Gage got open in the end zone in the 2nd half and was open for a TD. Unfortunately, he mistimed his jump and couldn’t come down with the catch for the score. On the very next play, he was targeted in the end zone again and he wasn’t able to catch a low throw that went through his hands. The Bucs settled for a field goal and these two plays ended up being the difference in this game.

Brady has always loved throwing to his tight ends down the seam, and he attempted two of these today that should have resulted in touchdowns. The first was to Cameron Brate, who was open but Myles Jack jumped and was able to deflect it by the hair of his chinny chin chin. The play should have resulted in a touchdown but Jack saved it.

Cade Otton was on the receiving end of the second throw down the middle, and was also open, but the throw was low and he was unable to bring it in.

In a scary scene late in the third quarter, Cameron Brate caught a pass across the middle and took a big hit to the head. It wasn’t a dirty hit, more of a wrong place, wrong time type of hit. He was down on the field for nearly ten minutes and was eventually carted off. Brate came out of concussion protocol this week so this was especially worrisome. If Brate is to miss any time, Otton is a guy to keep an eye on at the shallow TE position.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Quarterback

 

Mitch Trubisky: 9/12, 144 Yards, TD | 6 Carries, 5 Yards, 1 Fumble (Recovered)

Kenny Pickett: 11/18, 67 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, 16 Yards

 

Kenny Pickett looked good early in this game. He used his legs to keep their first drive alive, scrambling for ten yards on 3rd and 11 and then Jaylen Warren converted 4th and 1. He threw for 37 yards on the opening drive, more than half of his total output on the day. The Bucs’ defense did a good job of keeping the pressure on him and he didn’t have much time to look downfield. The running game really struggled to get going all day so there wasn’t much complimentary help for Kenny in this game.

Unfortunately, on their second drive of the 2nd half, Pickett got hit as he threw and hit the back of his head on the ground. It was immediately obvious that Pickett had sustained a concussion and would not return. Enter Mitch Trubisky, who came in and played really well. Trubisky was slinging it all over the place, though he was helped out by some really nice catches by Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.

Trubisky likely saved the game on a two-play sequence late in the 4th quarter. He botched a snap out of the shotgun, and with the ball bouncing around on the ground he was able to recover it. On the next play, 3rd and 15, he converted on a throw to Claypool that went for 17 yards. It allowed the Steelers to keep the drive alive and run the clock down at the end of the game. If Pickett has to miss any time, we know what Trubisky is and it’s not really that fantasy relevant.

 

Running Back

 

Najee Harris: 14 Carries, 42 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 7 Yards, TD

Jaylen Warren: 2 Carries, 2 Yards

 

On the Steelers’ first drive, Kenny Pickett did most of the work to get them down to the red zone. Jaylen Warren converted a 4th and short with a run up the middle, then Najee Harris caught a pass out of the backfield for the score.

 

 

This was about it for Najee on the day – honestly, the more I watch him, the less impressed I am by him as a player. As a teammate? He seems like an awesome guy.

 

 

But as a running back? He really just doesn’t strike me as anything truly special. Sure, there’s flashes of brilliance at times, and he did have a nice run in this game, but it’s to a side of the field that’s wide open so what did he really do?

 

https://twitter.com/BlitzGuyOG/status/1581704944805384193?s=20&t=9UY7Vp2-RnXG_ZFmpcP67g

 

He doesn’t show top-end speed, he doesn’t show top-end elusiveness, and I wouldn’t call him elite at breaking tackles. You can blame it on the offensive line all you want, but a special player has the ability to make up for that, and I just don’t think he’s there.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Chase Claypool: 1 Carry, 8 Yards | 7 Targets, 7 Receptions, 96 Yards, TD

Diontae Johnson: 2 Carries, 8 Yards | 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 28 Yards

George Pickens: 1 Carry, 1 Yard | 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards

Steven Sims: 1 Carry, -5 Yards

Connor Heyward: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 49 Yards

Zach Gentry: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards

 

Chase Claypool‘s biggest game of the year didn’t materialize until Mitch Trubisky took over. Claypool and Trubisky hooked up for five catches, 60 yards, and a TD in the second half, including this phenomenal grab on the sideline to essentially seal the game.

 

 

Claypool’s touchdown came after a 45-yard catch and run by Connor Heyward, who was left wide open by a very confused Buccaneers defense.

 

 

 

This is the guy we all expect Claypool to be, and it’s good to see he’s still got it in him.

Both Diontae Johnson and George Pickens were involved in the passing game, but were clearly second and third in the pecking order behind Claypool once the offense really got rolling. It was nice to see all three of DJ, GP, and CC get a chance to run it on the ground, as they’re all potentially elite playmakers and the Steelers should find a way to get the ball in their hands in any way they can. Johnson made this fantastic catch on the sideline for his only highlight of the game.

 

Series Navigation
Introduction
Commanders @ Bears
49ers @ Falcons
Patriots @ Browns
Jets @ Packers
Jaguars @ Colts
Vikings @ Dolphins
Bengals @ Saints
Ravens @ Giants
Buccaneers @ Steelers
Panthers @ Rams
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Bills @ Chiefs
Cowboys @ Eagles

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