2023 Steelers Season Recall: Bills make short work of shorthanded Steelers
Steel City Underground presents our 2023 Steelers Recall: A Look Back at Pittsburgh Steelers games and storylines from last season.
There was a lot of optimism for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they entered the Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday, January 15th, 2024. The Steelers had been on a three-game win streak, which was unlikely but welcome as Mason Rudolph led two 30-plus point games as Pittsburgh slipped into the postseason as the AFC’s seventh and final seed.
That path led them to Buffalo, though the game would have to be shifted to a Monday afternoon on Martin Luther King Day, due to the entire state of New York being shut down due to harsh weather over the weekend. The Bills called for fans to show up with shovels and dig out seats that were buried in the snow: much of which still lingered as the game kicked off and fans threw snowballs into the air and on the field through the duration.
On the field, the temperatures hovered around 10 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the game. Unfortunately, the game got away from Pittsburgh early in the first half and it was a hard climb to get back into it. Fans who used the betway app download would discover that the Bills entering the game as a ten-point favorite was an accurate line.
The opening drive, which usually sets the tone for the game, was lackluster for the Steelers. They managed only five plays for a total of 19 yards and would be forced to punt. This slow start was indicative of the team’s performance throughout the game.
The only notable play in this drive was a 16-yard screen pass from Mason Rudolph to Jaylen Warren.
Sean McDermott, the head coach of the Bills, demonstrated his team’s offensive prowess early in the game by capitalizing on the Steelers’ mistakes and misfortune. The Steelers defense was largely full of part-time players due to injuries.
Without T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh would feature a defense including Myles Jack, Mykal Walker, Markus Golden, and Eric Rowe. They were outmatched by Bills QB Josh Allen who quickly exploited a miscommunication to throw the first Buffalo touchdown, a nine-yard pass from Josh Allen to Dawson Knox.
The first drive not only put the Bills ahead early, but set the momentum in their favor following the ten-play, 80-yard drive.
Both teams would trade three-and-outs before disaster struck for the Steelers. Rudolph, who had a crucial role in the team’s offensive strategy, completed an eight-yard pass to George Pickens, only for it to result in a fumble recovered by Terrel Bernard of the Bills on the very first play of Pittsburgh’s third offensive possession.
Following the fumble recovery, Allen took advantage of the middle of the field with the next play, another touchdown pass that was thrown over the coverage. Allen swiftly connected with Dalton Kincaid for this score to put the Bills up 14-0.
The Steelers still had no answer, going three-and-out again, but the defense held firm this time, forcing the same of the Bills. Right as the first quarter concluded, the Steelers avoided another turnover on offense, this time a fumble by Pat Freiermuth. The team would carry the next series into the second quarter, as Rudolph eyed a touchdown pass in the redzone for Diontae Johnson that was intercepted.
The Bills would get the ball on their own 20, and squeak out of a 3rd-and-6 situation before another third down setup a bizarre play where Allen was able to take off on foot. It would appear that Allen was ready to slide to protect himself as a running quarterback, but never went down: the third down play would go for a 54-yard Allen touchdown run as the Bills coasted to a 21-0 advantage with a little over half of the second quarter remaining.
Pittsburgh had no answer, as the offense went three-and-out again. Despite the setbacks, the Steelers still had hope.
The momentum shifted back to the Steelers momentarily when Montravius Adams blocked a Tyler Bass field goal attempt, with Nick Herbig recovering the loose ball. The block was a franchise first in any playoff game.
That set up the Steelers’ first touchdown as Rudolph successfully connected with Johnson this time from 10 yards out to make the score 21-7 at half. The Steelers D would force a three-and-out to start the second half, setting up a nine-play drive that ended with 40-yard field goal by Chris Boswell, which brought the score to 21-10.
Buffalo churned out a clock-killing 14-play drive that saw them convert a 4th down attempt at midfield. A Tyler Bass field goal at the end of the 7:18 series gave the Bills a 24-10 edge, but the Steelers weren’t done yet and responded to the Bills’ field goal with a touchdown of their own. Mason Rudolph’s seven-yard pass to Calvin Austin was a critical play, bringing the score to a more competitive 24-17.
The Buffalo Bills, determined to maintain their lead, answered the Steelers’ touchdown with a decisive drive: 7 plays, 70 yards. A pair of penalties on Myles Jack set Buffalo up an Allen pass to Khalil Shakir for an almost unbelievable touchdown after Minkah Fitzpatrick failed to complete a tackle.
That play broke the backs of the Steelers with little time left in the fourth quarter to create an answer. Unfortunately, the Steelers would run out of time, and luck, to mount a successful second-half comeback and exited the NFL playoffs with a 31-17 loss.
Mason Rudolph finished the game with 229 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season, marked by ups and downs, came to a close with this Wild Card round loss. Despite showing moments of brilliance, the lack of urgency and self-inflicted errors proved costly. This game serves as a reflection of their season as a whole and sets the stage for what changes and improvements were needed for next season.
