Steelers vs. Jets winners and losers

Winners and losers of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 37-15 win over the New York Jets on Sunday night.

WINNER

CB Hat Bishop Jr.

I admit I was worried about Bishop at the start of the game. A rookie corner who cut his teeth against a Hall of Famer in Aaron Rodgers. But Bishop came to play. Late in the first half, he made an outstanding one-handed strike over the middle to shut out Rodgers, a great play that turned the tide and led to Russell Wilson's touchdown to WR George Pickens.

His second pass came in the second half when he caught a pass that bounced in and out of WR Garrett Wilson's hands and took him the other way to the 1-yard line. He also added a great open field tackle to Wilson at the end of the first half, something that secondary didn't do enough of in the first half.

Bishop became the second rookie to intercept Rodgers twice in a game and the first undrafted player to do so. After a poor performance against the Cowboys, his game took an upswing.

WR George Pickens

No one was happier to have Russell Wilson under center than Pickens. While some of the vertical throws were suppressed, they had arc and lift and gave Pickens a chance to make a contested grab, something he does better than virtually any receiver in the NFL.

Pickens caught two passes for 35 yards after catching three of them in the first six weeks. He also caught his first touchdown of the year over the top, picking on a depleted Jets secondary. Pickens even did the dirty work, blocking TE Pat Freiermuth's chunk catch-and-run with a key block to help him cover the final few yards.

SS DeShon Elliott

Just a guy who is made for AFC North ball and has a solid season. Elliott is an excellent tackler and hitter who possesses all the qualities expected of a strong safety. He is consistent, technically sound and plays with great commitment. Just solid game-winning tackles, including a big hit in the fourth quarter. He's a glue guy and steals a free agent transfer.

Steelers special teams

I have to give the Steelers special teams some love, they were incredible tonight. Chris Boswell made his field goals, Minkah Fitzpatrick was robbed of an extra point block and the coverage team consisting of Connor Heyward, Jeremiah Moon, Jonathan Ward and Co. Near the end of the third quarter, DL Dean Lowry blocked a field goal that was not made by a penalty was repealed.

P Corliss Waitman pinned one inside the 10 while Terrell Edmunds did well as a shooter, putting pressure on the Jets returner who forced a muff that rolled out of bounds.

Just an all around great performance tonight. Clinical material and one of the best you can see on a unit.

EDGE Alex Highsmith

Welcome back, Alex Highsmith. With TJ Watt continuing to receive his typical attention, the Steelers needed someone to step in on the other side. After missing three games due to a groin injury, he returned with great success. He didn't officially get a sack, it was difficult with Rodgers' quick release, but he kept getting pressure off the edge against LT Tyron Smith. He also put in some solid yardage in the running game.

QB Russell Wilson

It was a shaky start and overall not perfect, with some ugly misses, suppressed vertical shots and his lack of mobility compared to Justin Fields was evident. Early rust was to be expected. But Wilson got this offense going late in the first half and neither took their foot off the gas. Wilson opened up the vertical element of the offense, running the show well and scoring points without costly errors.

For someone who was sweating it out in the middle of the season against a solid Jets defense (admittedly one that was bleeding DBs tonight), this was an impressive performance overall.

C Ryan McCollum

Kudos to McCollum. Wasn't perfect, he gave up a hold, but he held his ground and overall the line run blocked well. For a fourth-line center making his first start in three years, he played good ball. The Steelers have injuries along their offensive line, but are still a tenacious front that plays with a chip on their shoulder.

CB Joey Porter Jr.

Porter blocked all of the Jets' vertical attempts in this game. At least two downfield throws didn't even come close to being caught against him. He also added a tackle for a loss. New York made its plays through the air, but overall, Porter held up his end of the bargain.

HC Mike Tomlin

Tomlin took the risk. And time will tell how the turn to Russell Wilson will pan out. But Tomlin and the Steelers got what they wanted, which Tomlin believed the Steelers needed, with a larger portion of the passing game and scoring points on the board. Kudos to Tomlin for doing what most coaches wouldn't have done.

D-line

A nice performance across the board. Larry Ogunjobi had an early sack, Cam Heyward was excellent as usual and Keeanu Benton turned heads in the second half against the screen/quick game. As mentioned above, Dean Lowry blocked a field goal. And for the most part, the Jets' running game was blocked in this game.

LOSER

Defensive tackle in the first half

Very sloppy at the start, especially with RB Breece Hall. Hall was difficult to beat in the passing game and caused all players to miss early. LBs Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson and a host of other names on a 50-yard dash inside the Steelers' 5-yard line. Things got better in the second half, but the first half was difficult to watch.

OT Broderick Jones

It looked like another difficult task for Jones, especially in pass protection. He handed off a sack to fellow first-rounder Will McDonald IV in the first round and unleashed a few other pressures. His problems continue and one wonders whether he will be named for a starting spot next season. He has a lot of work to do at the moment.

The good news is that the list of losers overall is short. Always a crowd favorite.