(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Winners:
Diontae Johnson - Johnson had a 45-yard touchdown reception on the first drive of the game, burning Jaire Alexander, who is one of the best cornerbacks in the game. It was the Steelers first opening-drive touchdown since Week 7 last year. Johnson finished the game with nine receptions for 92 yards (10.2 average) and a touchdown on 13 targets. Along with Najee Harris, Johnson was really the only bright spot from the offense or the team for that matter.
Najee Harris - Speaking of Harris, the rookie running back out of Alabama is doing all that he can, but he doesn't have much help with playing behind an atrocious offensive line. Harris rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries (4.1 average) and had a 1-yard leaping touchdown run, which was Harris' first rushing touchdown of his career. The offensive line actually run blocked a little better today, but it's still not at an elite level. The Steelers as a team haven't rushed over 100 yards in a game since Week 11 last year. Harris also had six receptions for 29 yards.
Losers:
Ben Roethlisberger - Things don't look good for Roethlisberger, as it appears that Father Time has defeated the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Roethlisberger connected to Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown on the opening drive, but it was all downhill from there. Roethlisberger was off-target on numerous passes and missed an open Smith-Schuster on two passes, one of which would have been a touchdown and the other one would have been at least an explosive play. Smith-Schuster was clearly frustrated by his quarterback's lack of accuracy on the sidelines, as it appears in this clip that he said Roethlisberger threw a "bad ball" on the first misfire that would have been a touchdown. For the game, Roethlisberger completed 26 of 40 passes (65.0%) for 232 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and had a quarterback rating of 78.3.
Matt Canada - The Steelers threw short of the chains on fourth-and-10 in last week's loss to the Bengals. And for some inexplicable reason, they did it again, twice on fourth down in the second half. I'm not sure they are bad reads by Roethlisberger or Canada is not calling the right plays, but regardless, it's a terrible look. As I've written before, I think Canada needs a mobile quarterback for his offense to succeed, and with an immobile 39-year-old quarterback and a terrible offensive line, he's been dealt a bad hand. However, Canada isn't blameless in this. The offense has been a mess.
Secondary/Terrell Edmunds - As expected, Rodgers had his way with the Steelers' secondary. The Packers had a balanced attack and the defense just couldn't get consistent pressure on Rodgers, whose pocket mobility helped him out on several instances. The Steelers tried to take Davante Adams out of the game, but that just opened things up for Randal Cobb, who had five receptions for 69 yards (13.8 average) and two touchdowns. Strong safety Terrell Edmunds was at fault for Cobb's first touchdown, as Edmunds let the veteran receiver just run past him on a crossing route for a 23-yard score. And the Steelers' plan to take Adams out of the game really didn't work, as he still caused damage, catching six passes for 64 yards (10.7 average).
Run Defense - The Packers just gashed the Steelers in the running game, which made it even harder to stop one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Green Bay as a team rushed for 131 yards on 33 carries, an average of 4.0 yards per carry. Rodgers also scrambled for a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter
Pressley Harvin III - After the offense went three-and-out on the opening-drive of the second half, Harvin shanked a punt for just 20 yards, giving the Packers great field position at the Steelers' own 40-yard line. Rodgers needed just four plays to drive down the field, which was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Cobb to give the Packers a 27-10 lead with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter. You just can't give Rodgers a short field like that. After Harvin's 20-yard punt, it felt all but over for the Steelers.