Despite an officials’ decision that essentially gave Seattle an unmerited chance to win the football game in overtime, the Steelers evened their record at 3-3 with a 23-20 win over the Seahawks at Heinz Field.
TJ Watt sacked Seattle quarterback Geno Smith twice in the overtime period, the second one a strip sack that set up Chris Boswell’s 37-yard game-winning field goal. Devin Bush returned Smith’s fumble to the Seattle 16 yard line, and Boswell’s kick then came on third down for the win.
The Steelers led the game 14-0 and 17-7 in the second half, but Seattle came back and tied it. Boswell nailed a field goal from 52 yards out to give the Steelers the lead at 20-17, but the disputed call by the officials gave Seattle one last chance, which they converted into a field goal to force the extra period. With a rolling clock showing only three seconds left and no chance to stop it, the officials called for a review of an obvious fumble by Seattle wide receiver DK Metcalfe. That stopped the clock and gave them a chance they should not have had.
Coach Tomlin was fuming about the call, which he said was an “embarrassment” for the NFL, but kept his emotions in check in his postgame comments. He says the win was a credit to his team’s resiliency.
Watt says the strip sack was a big play in the overtime.
Ben Roethlisberger was 29-of-40 passing for 229 yards and a touchdown. He also fumbled the ball away for the second straight game. He says entering the bye week at 3-and-3 is a lot better than being 2-4.
Boswell says he was just focused on doing his job when called upon to kick the game-winning field goal.
Roethlisberger passed Brett Favre for third place in NFL history for most passing yards with one team, trailing only Tom Brady and Drew Brees. He is sixth all-time in NFL passing yards overall.
Seattle defensive end Darrell Taylor was immobilized and carted off the field with what looked to be a neck injury late in the fourth quarter, but he was cleared in tests at the hospital and had full use of his extremities. He flew home with the team.
After this week’s bye, the Steelers play at Cleveland in two weeks. Yesterday, the Browns took a whipping on their own field, a 37-14 loss to the undefeated Arizona Cardinals. Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Ravens trounced the Chargers, 34-6 and the Bengals blasted winless Detroit, 34-11.
Baltimore is on top of the division at 5-1. Cincinnati is second at 4-2, and the Browns and Steelers are each 3-3.
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