The RotoWire Blog has been retired.

These archives exist as a way for people to continue to view the content that had been posted on the blog over the years.

Articles will no longer be posted here, but you can view new fantasy articles from our writers on the main site.

Monday Night Observations

I had the Steelers minus one, so I was happy with the result, but what I really needed was for Ryan Fitzpatrick to have a terrible game as I have Jameis Winston in a QB-flex league. That wasn't the case.

• Fitzpatrick was 30 of 50 for 411 yards (8.2 YPA) and three more scores. He did throw three picks, but one was on a tipped ball. Two of the picks were bad, especially the pick-six which was a poor throw and a bad decision. He also missed a couple throws, but made several great ones under pressure. I doubt he gives up the job to Winston in Week 4, and it would probably take a couple bad games/losses before Fitzpatrick is dislodged as the starter.

• Fitzpatrick also ran for 27 yards to go along with his 411 passing. He's the first QB in league history to throw for 400 yards in three straight games, has 1230 yards on the year to go along with 11 TDs, plus 62 rushing yards and a rushing TD. Those numbers prorate to 6,560 passing yards, 59 TD passes, 331 rushing yards and five rushing TDs.

• Mike Evans had another 11-6-137-1. He's targeted often, in the red zone and down the field. Hard to ask for a much better situation for him. Chris Godwin went 10-5--74-1 and could have had another TD but for a drop. He also fumbled, but that didn't deter the Bucs from going back to him. Desean Jackson went 5-3-37 and should have had a punt return TD, but it was called back for a hold.

• O.J. Howard could finish as a top-five TE, going 8-6-72 and showing speed, burst and tackle-breaking ability. Fitzpatrick is almost certainly better for him as Jameis Winston loves Cameron Brate who went 4-3-34-1.

• Peyton Barber is ostensibly the team's lead back, but they so rarely run the ball it doesn't much matter.

• Ben Roethlisberger had a rare big road game - 30 of 38 for 353 yards (9.3 YPA), three TDs and one pick. It seems like Juju Smith-Schuster is taking over as the team's No. 1 receiver though - 11 targets to Antonio Brown's nine, 116 yards to Brown's 50. Brown did score the TD though.

• Vance McDonald had the play of the night, catching a pass in the flat and straight-arming a defender to the ground before rumbling for a 75-yard TD. It was Gronkowski-esque. McDonald finished with a 5-4-112-1 line while the other tight end, The Outlaw (Jesse James) went 1-1-7. McDonald is the better pass catcher of the two, and as long as he's healthy, the one to own.

• James Connor went 15-for-61 on the ground and caught five of six targets for 34 yards. He had some big runs on the team's final drive, but the team misses Le'Veon Bell's pass-catching skills and power-running ability.

• The Steelers defense seemingly blitzed every play. They were gashed for some big plays, but overall the aggressiveness worked decently - three picks, three sacks. I wonder whether the book on Fitzpatrick is to rush him into bad decisions because the Steelers so rarely sat back and played coverage. Or maybe it's just because the Bucs have no running game of which to speak.

• There were a lot of penalties this game. At least three roughing the passer calls on the Steelers and one on the Bucs. It seems like the league is willing to pay a hefty price to get the defenses to change the way they play. I'm not sure it'll work.