Steelers Down Falcons in Atlanta

The Steelers stack wins for the first time this season, following last week’s victory in Indianapolis with a 19-16 W in the Falcons’ trap this afternoon.

For the second week in a row K Matthew Wright was the beneficiary of a doinked field goal attempt. As I quipped on twitter, he is the golfer in the foursome who refuses every lesson and tip because he thinks he’s learned to “control” his hook.

3-0 PIT

My guy CB Cam Sutton had a PBU and two tackles (including on 3rd down to force a punt) on Atlanta’s opening drive. He added a QB pressure on the next drive with a nickel blitz that nearly lead to an INT and broke up a woulda-been TD on their third possession.

Although the Steelers scored on their opening drive, it took converting 4/5 3rd downs to march into field goal range. Their next showing was much cleaner, converting four straight 2nd downs. After a Diontae drop on 3rd down Wright’s number was called again. He put this 46-yarder right down the middle, but not without his signature right-to-left bite. 6-0 PIT

HB Najee Harris – who was not expected to play (oblique) – has spoken about the struggles for guys his size trying to run and cut on natural grass. The dome environment apparently agreed with him; he had 51 yards and three first downs on 10 total touches in the first half.

OLB TJ Watt was also questionable (ribs, pec, knee) but he was out there dipping around a hapless RT for a TFL on the Falcons’ second drive. He then made a Marcus Mariota sandwich with DE Cam Heyward on 3rd down to force a 50-yard FG attempt. DT Larry Ogunjobi came through the A-gap and nearly blocked the kick, by the way. 6-3 PIT

TE Connor Heyward finished the drive with a vertical route from 20 out, but TE Pat Freiermuth reprised the “Vanimal” role with this 50-yard catch-and-rumble to set up the strike.

13-3 PIT

Atlanta tacked on another FG (13-6 PIT) but Pittsburgh continued their pattern of answering points with points. After converting this 48-yarder, Wright was a flawless 9/9 – 3/3 in each of the three games since missing a pair of FG’s in his first game as a Steeler (Saints). 16-6 PIT

After a quick five-and-out (and a nice play in coverage from the ever-dangerous FS Minkah Fitzpatrick) Pittsburgh got another chance with :30 seconds left. They elected to run it once and clock it out to the locker room with their two-score lead.

SS Terrell Edmunds saved the Steelers’ defense from surrendering a TD on the inaugural play of the second half. He was seen on the sideline with his helmet on when we returned from commercial and was back on the field a play later.

It was about that time I got into it on Twitter with someone and missed Wright’s fourth FG and an Atlanta TD. But I believe it to be worth it:

19-13 PIT

Shortly thereafter a short completion to WR Diontae Johnson ended up on the ground and appeared to be a turnover in critical field position. After review it was ruled Johnson didn’t complete the catch and Pittsburgh was afforded the privilege to punt the ball away…but not before we were treated to this bit of drama from a frustrated Pickens:

The Steelers’ defense was starting to show signs of body blow fatigue. They forced the Falcons into a 4th&1; TJ pursued a sweep from the back-side and got a shoestring but the runner fell forward for the first down. A few plays later it appeared Cordarrelle Patterson had his second TD of the day but a holding penalty negated the score and gave Pittsburgh more blades to defend. CB Arthur Maulet saved a TD on 3rd down matched up with [first-round draft pick] Drake London in the end zone. Atlanta settled for another FG. 19-16 PIT

Diontae quieted his haters with a tough catch-and-run for a 1st down just on the other side of the two-minute warning and Atlanta had to start calling timeouts. The naked boot didn’t fool them on 3rd down. P Presley Harvin III pinned them down on their own two yard line with :42.

One snap later, Minkah called game with his fourth INT of the year. Victory Formation: how sweet it is.

FINAL SCORE: 19-16 PIT

Steelers Edge Saturday’s Colts on MNF 24-17

Indianapolis tallied zero net yards of offense in the first quarter. Matt Ryan’s first completed pass was a screen to Jonathan Taylor eight minutes into the second quarter. Unless you count interceptions, in which case Steelers CB James Pierre broke his streak on the Colts’ opening possession.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh scored on three of their first four drives en route to a 13-0 lead, which tied the Steelers’ largest margin of the season (Week 1 @ Cincinnati).

HB Anthony McFarland got a helmet for the first time this season to fill the shoes of Jaylen Warren while he nurses a hamstring injury. McFarland had 8 touches for 31 yards, including this nifty 15-yard scamper:

WR George Pickens continues to be unguardable. Kenny has been living on that back shoulder and the duo again found 30+ the loud way:

Najee finally finished a drive for the Steelers with a split zone run from six yards out. You’ll see TE Pat Freiermuth peeling back behind the face of the formation to seal back-side pursuit:

The Colts didn’t start rattling the chains (Jacob Marley-style) until they took the ball out of Ryan’s ghostly-cold hands and let Taylor do his thing (3 rushes, 21 yards). Once they tried to throw again, the drive stalled and they settled for a 51-yard FG to shatter their goose egg.

DE Isaiah Loudermilk blocked a second FG attempt in the expiring seconds of the first half.

HALFTIME SCORE: 13-3 PIT

Indy took the second half opening kickoff back to about the Steelers’ 20. Three of the four plays were Taylor runs (11 yards) including a two-yard TD plunge. As it turns out, that’s what it took for the Colts’ offense to score tonight. 13-10 PIT

When the Steelers got the ball back they were without HB Najee Harris who was ruled out for the game with an abdominal injury. They got another decent run out of McFarland on 2nd down but the Colts stuffed him on third to force Pittsburgh’s first three-and-out of the evening.

Indy was gifted Pittsburgh’s 1 after two questionable coverage penalties on the Steelers. A mishandled exchange between Ryan and Taylor led to a fumble recovery by DE Chris Wormley and the Colts came up empty again.

Unfortunately, after a 3rd down drop from Pickens, the Steelers returned the favor. This time luck was not on their side, and Pierre negated any goodwill his interception garnered by giving up a TD on a fade to the corner of the end zone. 17-16 IND

The Steelers picked up their first 1st down of the second half on the ensuing drive, going over the middle of the field to Pickens. Pickens had dropped a couple passes in the second half so it was nice to see him get back in the W column. Pittsburgh punched it in with a little Benny Snell Football (TM):

24-17 PIT

For the two-point conversion Pickett went back to Pickens after a scramble:

The Colts cobbled together a drive that survived a 4th and 3 (TJ Watt tipped the pass) but a strip-sack and TFL by OLB Alex Highsmith set up a second 4th and 3. This time DT Cam Heyward forced an inaccurate pass into double coverage and CB Cam Sutton and FS Minkah Fitzpatrick converged to end Matt Ryan’s night.

Enter: Victory Formation. FINAL SCORE: 24-17 PIT

Steelers Stymie Saints at the ‘Sure

The Steelers improved to 3-6 today with a 20-10 home victory over the New Orleans Saints. Almost more important than the headline: TJ Watt returned to the NFL field for the first time since tearing a pectoral muscle two months ago.

Watt made his presence known early with tackles on each of his first two snaps. With the help of a False Start penalty committed before the visitors’ first offensive snap (the Beaver Stadium Special) Andy Dalton and the Saints found themselves facing a 3rd&13 inside his own 10. I don’t need to tell you how that turned out.

Aided by a converted 4th&2 (swing pass to RB Jaylen Warren) and a Defensive Pass Interference, QB Kenny Pickett led his troops to the Saints’ red zone on their second drive. WR George Pickens – who converted the Steelers’ only First Down on their first possession – logged his first NFL rushing TD on a jet sweep at the goal line. 7-0 PIT

RB Najee Harris broke off this sweet 45-yard scamper, but the unflagged helmet-to-helmet hit at the end sent him to the blue tent. Fortunately he was back out there for the Steelers’ next drive, after newest Steeler Matthew Wright converted a 33-yard FG. 10-0 PIT

The Saints got to marching despite a couple bad throws from Dalton and S Damontae Kazee recording his first three (solo) tackles in his Steelers (regular season) debut. TJ affected a 2nd Down pass and recorded a 3rd Down sack and New Orleans settled for a FG to get on the board. 10-3 PIT UPDATE: that sack was vacated after determining Dalton had regained the line of scrimmage with his scramble.

After two uncalled direct helmet-to-helmet hits by Saints players, the officials chose the final minute of the first half to crack down on physicality by flagging Kazee for a violent shoulder-to -shoulder hit. One play later New Orleans cracked the end zone, tying it at 10 just before half time.

Although Pickett was shaken up with some sort of lower body injury early in the third quarter, he put the Steelers offense in FG-range in each of their first two drives of the second half. Wright missed the first attempt but knocked the second one through, despite it being ruled “blocked.” 13-10 PIT

Pittsburgh’s next defensive sequence was the kind of thing of Steelers’ storybooks. It started with a TJ run stuff and ended with a tipped pass that became Kazee’s first Steelers INT. Sandwiched in between there MLB Devin Bush made a great play in coverage.

They almost gave it back right away by way of a Najee fumble but RT Chuks Okorafor jumped on the loose ball to avert disaster. The next snap, Matt Canada cleared out the right half of the field and Warren took a short pass for a 26-yard gain. Extended by a DPI in the end zone, the drive ended with a one-yard TD plunge by the rookie QB. Post-Ben, the QB sneak is back in a BIG way for the Steelers. 20-10 PIT

After a nine-yard slant on 1D, SS Terrell Edmunds and CB Levi Wallace both tipped a 2D pass. DE Cam Heyward stuffed a run and threw Alvin Kamara backward on 3D1. With the offense out there on 4D1 Dalton attempted a sneak but MLB Robert Spillane came off the left edge and threw the bloody-nosed redhead to the turf emphatically. They gave the bloody-nosed redhead no gain but he was stopped at least a full yard behind the line of scrimmage.

Set up in very plus territory, Pittsburgh’s offense wasn’t able to help their cause and Coach Tomlin once again came hat-in-hand to Danny Smith’s boys. For the second time today Wright hooked a kick hard-left, this time squandering a 48-yard attempt.

Fortunately their defense didn’t need any additional support. OLB Alex Highsmith recorded his second sack of the day – this one of the strip sack variety, although a white-shirt recovered the unclaimed luggage. They recouped half of their lost yardage on 2D but looking deep up the right sideline on 3D10 Dalton found his second INT of the day – this time in the hands of CB Levi Wallace.

New Orlean’s defense took it down to the two-minute warning looking at a 3D8. Warren effectively ended the game with a 21-yard run around the right end. FB Derek Watt converted his second 3D1 of the afternoon and it was Victory Formation time. FINAL: 20-10 PIT