Pittsburgh Steelers: Studs and duds from Week 5 vs. Eagles
By Samuel Teets
The Pittsburgh Steelers struggled against the Philadelphia Eagles but held on for their fourth win of the season.
After taking a commanding lead, the Pittsburgh Steelers let Philadelphia fight back into their Week 5 matchup. Luckily, Mike Tomlin’s team closed ranks down the stretch and claimed a 38-29 victory. The Steelers are 4-0 for the first time in Ben Roethlisberger‘s career. The franchise hasn’t opened a season 4-0 since Terry Bradshaw captained the offense.
While the Steelers continue winning games, they’ve had some close calls. There’s a lot left for Pittsburgh to improve on if they want this hot streak to continue. For now, let’s look at the studs and duds from Week 5.
Stud: Chase Claypool, WR
While Claypool made several plays during his first three appearances, the Notre Dame product only had six receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown. He nearly doubled all of those totals against Philadelphia. Assuming Claypool can replicate Sunday’s performance in future games, the Steelers will never regret using their top pick in this year’s draft on the 22-year-old.
Claypool made seven receptions for 110 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, not including a touchdown that referees called back because of pass interference. The rookie receiver also recorded three carries for six yards and a touchdown, bringing his total to four scores on the day. Roy Jefferson, who last played for Pittsburgh in 1969, was the last player in Steelers history with four touchdowns in a single game.
Dud: Penalties
The Steelers committed eight penalties against the Eagles, costing Tomlin’s team 86 yards. The two teams ended with almost even penalty stats since Philadelphia lost 84 yards on nine calls. However, Pittsburgh can’t commit that many fouls against more competitive teams. The Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, or even the 4-1 Cleveland Browns won’t let those infractions go unpunished.
The referees also made a questionable offensive pass interference call on Chase Claypool, which wiped a touchdown off the board. Instead of shoving the defensive back to the ground as the refs claimed, Claypool simply profited from the corner losing his balance. The OPI call kept Philadelphia in the game, leading to unnecessary stress for the Steelers and their fans.