The Steelers went into one of the toughest environments in the NFL and came away with a win over one of the top teams in the AFC yesterday, downing the Buffalo Bills, 23-16.
After trailing 10-0 at halftime, the Steelers’ offense scored on four straight possessions and the defense took away Buffalo’s vaunted multi-threat offensive weapons. Cam Sutton’s stop of Matt Breida on a 4th-and-1 screen pass in the third quarter fueled a furious defensive charge. Sutton read the screen and dropped Breida for a seven-yard loss, giving the Steelers the ball at the 50-yard line. Ben Roethlisberger then hit Diontae Johnson with a 13-yard pass tiptoe touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to give the Steelers their first lead, at 13-10.
Five plays later Miles Killebrew blocked a Buffalo punt and Ulysses Gilbert scooped it up and ran it in for a 9-yard touchdown return. Each team then kicked a field goal and the Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Shuster fielded a Bills onside kick to seal the win.
Chris Boswell kicked three field goals in the game, and Roethlisberger was 18-of-32 for 188 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. He was sacked twice.
Coach Mike Tomlin said it was a solid effort against a good team.
Tomlin said the Steelers were prepared for the screen pass to Breida that Sutton stopped.
Roethlisberger says it was a total team victory.
After sitting out team drills for the entire training camp while his contract negotiations were going on , linebacker TJ Watt was his old self, with two sacks and a forced fumble. He says he was ready to go and had lots of energy in reserve.
The Steelers run game never got going, as they rushed for only 75 yards, with 45 of them belonging to top draft choice Najee Harris, whose top run of his 16 carries was a fourth quarter dash of 18 yards.
The Steelers were outgained in total offense, 371-252, but Buffalo gave up 81 yards in penalties to the Steelers’ 32.
Next up for Mike Tomlin’s Steelers is a game next Sunday afternoon at 1:00, against the Raiders at Heinz Field. The Raiders play the Baltimore Ravens tonight in Las Vegas. In the AFC North yesterday, the Bengals beat the Vikings, 27-24, in overtime while the Browns blew a late lead and lost to the Chiefs, 33-29.
Former IUP assistant coach Nick Sirianni won his debut as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat Atlanta, 32-6.
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