2016 Recall: Steelers return home to take down the Giants
Willing to bet Steelers Nation forgot about most of the strange occurrences in this game!
The first odd event to happen actually began before kickoff: and it involved the guy doing the kicking! Chris Boswell ended up with an injury on Saturday and was inactive on Sunday.
His replacement, Randy Bullock, wound up kicking three field goals and an extra point, scoring ten of the Steelers 24 points.
Want another strange situation? I’ve got plenty!
Jesse James, along with a few others, drop three crucial passes from Ben Roethlisberger. The incompletions stalled the Steelers offense, but not the defense! James Harrison plowed through the Giants offensive line, drawing a penalty and giving Pittsburgh it’s first points from a safety. (The penalty occurred in the end zone, defaulting to two points.)
Adding in Bullock’s first field goal, a 44-yarder, the game had a baseball score of 5-0 Pittsburgh through the first quarter. The Giants threatened, but Eli Manning threw his intended touchdown pass to the wrong team, as Lawrence Timmons huffed and puffed his way down the field with a rare interception.
Antonio Brown made an impossible catch look routine (as usual) shortly after the turnover.
Before you knew it, the 5-0 baseball score became a 13-0 football lead (after a failed two-point conversion, of course!) But the Steelers still weren’t out of the woods yet. The Giants continued to pursue them but fell flat several times. Ryan Shazier broke up an Eli Manning desperation pass on 4th and 1, but Le’Veon Bell would uncharacteristically fumble moments later and give the ball right back to New York, who took advantage with a Ryan Jennings TD, closing the score to within seven.
The Steelers would immediately answer with another unusual series of events: unusual because Ladarius Green had barely played last season, but showed up with a career game. Most of the tight end’s big game came on the ensuing drive, starting with a Ben Roethlisberger 33-yard pass and ending with a 20-yeard touchdown reception all within a 3:21 drive.
The game remained tight as both squads punted or turned the ball over. However, it was the Steelers who capitalized on Sean Davis‘ interception of Manning, who would also be sacked by several Steelers on a fourth down on the next drive, turning the ball over on downs.
Randy Bullock would come through and seal the deal with one last 38-yard field goal as the Steelers walked away with a 24-14 victory and their third-straight win.
Play of the Game
On 2nd and 4 from the Pittsburgh nine-yard line, the Giants were approaching the end zone with intent to take the lead. The Steelers were grasping onto a 5-0 margin behind a safety and a field goal, when Eli Manning stepped back to pass, searched for his tight end, but instead found a Steelers linebacker with open arms.
