Steelers vs. Falcons: 9 Winners and 2 Losers after the huge win over Atlanta in Week 5 The Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons took part in a huge game at Heinz Field on Sunday Terrell Edmunds Jersey White , and the Steelers presented their loyal fan base with their first home win of the regular season. The 41-17 victory was the most complete performance by the team to date, and there were some good, and bad, performances worthy of recognition.During the game, some perform well, while others fall short of the standard. This is where the Winners and Losers column comes in. After the game, when the dust settles, we decipher who falls into which category. As always, feel free to comment on the list in the comment section below. Be part of the conversation!WinnersJames ConnerStat Line: 21 carries, 110, 2 TDs / 4 receptions, 75 yards, 4 targetsWhat else is there to say about James Conner’s day which hasn’t already been said? I haven’t seen a running back so hard to bring down since Jerome Bettis roamed the backfield for the Steelers. Conner, when given the opportunity, has proven he is up for the task at hand. Kudos to Conner for taking advantage of a game plan which had him as the focal point.Antonio BrownStat Line: 6 receptions, 101 yards, 2 TDsIt wasn’t always pretty, and it started off rough, but the Ben to Brown connection caught fire at the right time. While essentially shut out in the first half, Brown exploded in the second for his first 100 yard receiving performance of the season. Hopefully this connection is just starting to heat up at just the right time.Ben RoethlisbergerStat Line: 19/29, 250 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 112.7 Passer RatingRoethlisberger’s stat line is what Steelers fans should want to see. Nothing crazy, but efficient football. Take away his idiotic interception, more on that later, and Roethlisberger played a very good game. He took what the defense was giving him, and the Steelers offense dominated. 9 of 12 on 3rd downs was a very nice change in the right direction, and largely because of the play of No. 7.Roosevelt NixStat Line: Blocked punt, dominating lead blockingWhen the Steelers gave Roosevelt Nix a new contract this offseason Womens JuJu Smith-Schuster Jersey , some wondered why they would do that when they rarely use a fullback in the offense. Probably because he does so much more than lead blocking on this team. Nix’s special teams play has been phenomenal, and he proved this again when he blocked the Falcons’ punt in the later portion of the game. Throw in some great lead blocking and Nix deserves to be in the winner column today.T.J. WattStat Line: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 QB hitsEveryone has said it, “When will T.J. Watt be showing up?” It seemed as if the second year linebacker’s only good performances came against the lowly Browns, but he changed this narrative with a dominating performance against the Falcons. Matt Ryan had been sacked 10 times coming into Week 5, and Watt added 3 more to that total by himself. Watt looked dynamic as ever, and the hope is he can continue this, and sustain it, for a full season.Mike HiltonStat Line: 2 tackles, 1 solo, 2 QB hitsSometimes you don’t appreciate someone until they are gone. This was the case with Mike Hilton when the cornerback missed the Week 4 game vs. the Baltimore Ravens with an elbow injury. With Hilton back in the mix on Sunday vs. Atlanta, the defense had a completely different feel. Hilton was a presence on the edge blitzing from the slot, and when they had to account for him it left more one-on-one matchups for the defensive linemen — and the Steelers were winning those matchups. Hilton is a much more valuable piece to the Steelers’ puzzle than most probably think.Joe HadenStat Line: 5 tackles, 5 solo, held Julio Jones to 5 rec. and 62 yardsDuring the game I wondered if the Steelers would have Haden follow Julio Jones, and it didn’t take long for the beat writers to say he was during the game. I became more and more impressed as the game went on and Jones was without a catch. In fact, it wasn’t until the second half when Jones recorded his first reception, and Haden is one of the main reasons why. Haden doesn’t just bring solid play to the field, but also is the glue which keeps the defense together. Haden might just be the defense’s MVP so far this season.The Coaching StaffStat Line: Huge bounce back performance in a must-win gameI’ve always believed coaches get too much blame when they lose, and not enough credit when they win. Everyone loves to bash Mike Tomlin, Keith Butler and Randy Fichtner when the team struggles, but what about when the team puts together a tremendous win in all phases of the game? Time to give the coaching staff some love. With their backs against the wall, desperate for a win, the team delivered. Offensive LineStat Line: 0 Sacks allowed / 131 rushing yards at 4.5 ypcTalk about a dominant performance. When the Steelers were taking a balanced approach to the offense, the big guys up front did more than enough for Randy Fichtner’s plan to work to perfection. Not allowing a sack, and dominating in the run game is a huge lift for this veteran group.LosersChris BoswellStat Line: 5/6 XPOn a day when he wasn’t called on to kick a field goal, missing an extra point is unacceptable. This points being left on the field are killers Womens T. J. Watt Jersey , just as the Green Bay Packers and Mason Crosby.Ben Roethlisberger’s Horrid INTStat Line: That was awfulI know Roethlisberger was also a winner, but he falls in the loser category for just one play. His interception at the end of the half was more than horrendous. It was atrocious. It was any other adjective you want to use, I have to keep it clean here on the site, but it was bad. Those are the types of plays which can lose you a football game. I am left wondering how many points the Steelers could have scored if not for Roethlisberger’s bone-headed play. Oh, the moans and groans in Nawlins.The consternation in Steeltown.The woe is me refrains in Carolina's Queen City.The joke's on me attitude in Jax.And the tabloid screams in the Big Apple.Maybe all of that dread and disgust will quiet down, at least for a week. Hey, folks, the new guys at quarterback did pretty darn well for your teams.Teddy Bridgewater was steady in place of Drew Brees, guiding the Saints to victory in Seattle, as tough a place to win as any.Kyle Allen, probably most famous in the NFL for once being a teammate of Kyler Murray's at Texas A&M, was a revelation in place of Cam Newton as the Panthers got their first victory of the season, in Arizona.Gardner Minshew is making Jaguars fans wonder why he was a sixth-round draft pick, stepping in for Nick Foles and looking like a starter (and future star).Daniel Jones, the guy who caused Giants general manager Dave Gettleman to be vilified for drafting the Duke QB sixth overall last April,looked worthy of a No. 1 overall pick. He stepped in for what the TV announcers were calling a New York legend, the benched Eli Manning, and lifted the team to last-minute victory at Tampa.Only Mason Rudolph, replacing Ben Roethlisberger (elbow surgery) for the Steelers, didn't get a win among the newcomers. But he didn't embarrass himself at all — and had Pittsburgh in position to beat San Francisco.Plus, in Indianapolis, this stuff isn't new for Jacoby Brissett, but his name certainly belongs high on the list of quarterbacks — eight teams already have them — who were not considered the starter last month and now are in charge of their teams.Yes, one-quarter of the league, as injuries, ineffectiveness and in one case, a retirement (Andrew Luck), created a sea wave of change that still could turn into a tsunami.There's no guarantees the likes of Marcus Mariota, Case Keenum, Jameis Winston or even Andy Dalton JuJu Smith-Schuster Jersey White , despite his solid performances in Cincinnati's 0-3 start, will remain behind center.And that's not even considering more injuries that often come, no matter how much NFL rules try to protect the passer.For Week 3, though, let's celebrate these youngsters who stepped in and stepped up.KYLE ALLEN, PANTHERSIn his second-career start, Allen had four touchdown passes and a 144.4 QB rating."He's a guy who really keeps his composure," Carolina coach Ron Rivera said. "He understands. He's smart. He's got a good football mind."Not to mention the arm and legs he showed.DANIEL JONESAt some point, it was clear the struggling Giants would turn to Jones. It came a bit earlier than some expected. So did his first NFL heroics.Jones threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for two TDs, including the go-ahead score with 1:16 remaining as New York rallied from an 18-point halftime hole to win 32-31."There's certain things that I knew about this kid when we drafted him. He was tough, he was competitive, and in my opinion he's a winner," Giants coach Pat Shurmur said. "Now the rest of it is just quarterback stuff. But those first three things give him a chance to move forward."TEDDY BRIDGEWATERIt's been a long road back for Bridgewater, who looked like Minnesota's franchise quarterback before a severe knee injury forced him to miss almost two seasons.Teaming with coach Sean Payton, whose offensive expertise obviously isn't limited to handing game plans to Brees, Bridgewater was exactly what the team needed."I said all week Teddy is a leader," after Bridgewater threw for a touchdown, was not picked, and helped New Orleans to a huge road victory. "He had composure. He had poise and we got it done."GARDNER MINSHEWThe rookie threw two touchdown passes against Tennessee last Thursday and also had a receiver drop a ball in the end zone. He's already a star in North Florida."Nothing rattles this kid," coach Doug Marrone said. "He's really good at communication and I think he's really good at preparing himself and making sure there are no surprises out there for him. That's just a guy that has a maniacal work ethic."MASON RUDOLPHThe showing by the second-year QB, basically a caddie for Roethlisberger until now, should calm the three rivers a bit in Pittsburgh. Rudolph wasn't spectacular, but also was victimized by some errors around him in the 24-20 loss to the Niners. He has no reason to hang his head."For a young guy to come and start his first game in an away game on the West Coast and going against a great team, I think he handled himself well," wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster said. "There were situations where we messed up, didn't execute or turned the ball over, he stayed positive and kept us going."