2017 Recall: Steelers (barely) squeak by a decimated Packers squad
Steel City Underground presents our 2017 Recall: a brief look back at Pittsburgh Steelers games from last season.
There was every indication heading into this Sunday Night Football meeting that the Pittsburgh Steelers would key-off of the momentum they gained in a major win against the Tennessee Titans. Pittsburgh was coming off of a mini-bye, having a few extra days off from their previous Thursday Night Football game as they returned to yet another primetime game.
This time they would face a Green Bay Packers team that was struggling. After smashing the Titans, an Aaron Rodgers-less Packers squad shouldn’t have been a problem. The Steelers offense was finally running on all cylinders and would surely handle the visitors from Title Town with ease.
Well… that isn’t how this game went down. As a result, an overtime period looked to be certain… except that one player had other plans despite an earlier mistake.
The Steelers offense got on the field first after the opening kickoff – and a nice Martavis Bryant return. (remember that? The idea didn’t age well!)
The Steelers quickly moved the chains on a drive that was capped by a short pass to tight end Xavier Grimble. A great play by Antonio Brown helped keep things moving. (Unfortunately, Chris Boswell missed the PAT.)
Packers quarterback Brett Hundley then struck gold on two big plays in successive drives that put the Steelers defense on notice. Artie Burns was flagged for hands-to-the-face and then burned by Randall Cobb deep for a score. After Ben Roethlisberger threw a pick, running back Jamaal Williams made Ryan Shazier and Sean Davis miss for another quick touchdown.
The game then became something of a back-and-forth affair with Hundley and Roethlisberger both facing pressure from the opposing defenses and both offenses digging deep to put points on the scoreboard.
https://twitter.com/SNFonNBC/status/934984036606533632
It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Steelers defense really rose up to make a big stand, but after Roethlisberger’s second interception, L.T. Walton and Cam Heyward both logged sacks that had Mike McCarthy out of sorts, calling for a 57-yard field goal that was ridiculously off target from Mason Crosby.
The Steelers offense took advantage of the short field and scored with a touchdown pass to Brown after a 53-yard march and a two-point conversion that went in Pittsburgh’s favor to tie the game once again.
Le’Veon Bell‘s fumble was uncharacteristic of the rusher, but it allowed the Packers to remain in the game and Hundley marched the Green Bay offense 77 yards to grab a four-yard touchdown on the ground by a leaping Williams. That left both teams scrambling to be the first to score with two minutes left in regulation.
With just 17 seconds left in the game, who else but Big Ben could set their team up for victory?
Roethlisberger got the Steelers offense on the field and found Brown along the sidelines on a pass that looked like it may have been out of bounds. However, a review showed that Brown was able to drag his toes and control the ball as he fell onto the bench area.
Issa catch. #TonyToeTap pic.twitter.com/doep53zYfs
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 27, 2017
It was an amazing play and the officials confirmed that it was a completion, earning loud cheers from the Heinz Field crowd.
Brown followed that up with another fantastic two-feet-in catch on the sideline with 13 seconds left on the clock. A flag thrown on the field was picked up and with nine seconds, the Steelers opted to quick toss to Bell who slipped on the turf.
The play forced Boswell, with an early miss on the PAT somewhere buzzing in his brain, onto the field to kick a 53-yard field goal – for the win – in a stadium everyone in the NFL knows is a tough place even when there is barely a breeze.
And…the kick was good!
The Steelers were able to hold on to win, 31-28, in a game they were expected to win by a two-touchdown margin. Pittsburgh moved to 9-2 on the season, in a tie with the New England Patriots at the top of the AFC.
What Stood Out
Defensive Explosion
Through eleven games, the Steelers defense racked up 38 sacks: it was the second-most in the league at this time and the fourth-most sacks through eleven games in team history. (Well, at least since sacks became an official stat in 1982.)
Cam Heyward is a monster
With a pair of sacks and six combined tackles Cam Heyward made his case to be named an All-Pro. With the two sacks, Heyward ascended to tenth all-time in sacks for the team.
It also marked the fifth time that Heyward had multiple-sack games in his career.
The Steelers, at this time, were 4-0 whenever their defensive captain had more than a single sack in a game.
Offensive Explosion – Big Ben
Ben Roethlisberger went off in this game going 33 of 45 for 351 yards, 4 touchdowns and a 106.8 quarterback rating. For the third time in his regular-season career Big Ben threw at least four touchdown passes in back-to-back games and registered at least four touchdown passes in a regular-season game for the 15th time in his career, extending his franchise record.
But that’s not all.
His last second heroics marked his 41 game-winning drive in his entire NFL career.
He was nothing short of remarkable on this evening!
Ben gets no respect
At the time of this game, Ben’s 351 passing yards was the 30th game of his regular-season career with 350 or more. It would be the fourth-most of such games in NFL history, behind some very recognizable names such as Drew Brees (57), Tom Brady (42), and Peyton Manning (35).
Too bad David Carr doesn’t believe Ben is a top ten quarterback in this league!
Offensive Explosion – Brown
Antonio Brown recorded his 35th career 100-yard receiving game and his 14th career multi-touchdown catch game with a 10-catch, 169 yard and two touchdown performance.
Offensive Explosion – Bell
With 12 catches in the game, Le’Veon Bell set a new single-game record by a Steelers running back. (Franco Harris, 11, 9/19/1982 vs. Cincinnati)
With 95 rushing yards on 20 attempts and those 12 receptions for 88 receiving yards, Le’Veon would tally 183 total yards from scrimmage on the evening.
Record-setting game-winner
Chris Boswell’s game-winning and career-long 53-yard field goal is the longest by a Steeler in Heinz Field history. It also ties for the longest by any player at the stadium (Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys).
The kick is the fourth-longest in franchise history.
Play of the Game
With nine seconds on the game clock from Pittsburgh’s own 33-yard line, the Steelers attempted to gain more ground in order to make a potential tie-breaking Boswell kick easier. However, they ended up losing two yards instead. The air came out of the stadium, as Boswell previously missed his first extra point attempt of the evening: which was a much closer kick!
Now moving the field goal try back two more yards, to a 53-yard attempt, could’ve been problematic as Boswell’s previous long was a 51-yard attempt: the longest field goal ever made at Heinz Field was the same 53-yard distance Boswell was about to attempt.
Chris Boswell proved his Pro Bowl status in 2018 by allowing the ice flowing through his veins to cool him off… like a “killer”… or “Killer B”! (Yes, we’re still making those claims and why not?!)
Another view
I had the opportunity to sit up close and personal to get this exclusive shot of Boswell’s game-winning kick that evening. Have a look!
https://twitter.com/steelcityundrgr/status/935004748041900032
