Steelers score 41 unanswered points to topple the Saints 44-21.
by MadBomberTV | 4 years ago | 0 Comments
The Steelers and the Saints came into the game with identical records at 5-9, but by the end of the game, they looked like very different teams. The game started with the Steelers falling behind 21-3, thanks in part to a pick six by Eli Apple. The Steelers managed to fight back and make it 21-13 going into the half and began to gain a little confidence. The second half was all Steelers. Specifically the 3rd quarter. They scored 24 fourth quarter points and added another 7 in the 4th. The Saints, on the other hand, never saw the endzone again. The Steelers scored 41 unanswered points to come away with a 44-21 victory and move to 6-9 with a season closing game against the Browns next week.
On offense, Josh Rosen continues to play stellar football. He was a little less accurate, only throwing 9 completions on 16 attempts. He did however manage to rack up 238 yards and 3 touchdowns, while only throwing one interception. For the fourth straight week, Roman Whitlock topped the century mark on the ground. This time rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He left the game in the 3rd quarter with a pectoral injury. Team sources confirmed that he could have re-entered the game if it were needed. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the receivers with 3 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, it looks like the Steelers may have found a better and more effective mix in their playcalling. They limited Saints quarterback Reid Neil to 11 of 22 passing for 137 yards. He threw one touchdown to four interceptions, while taking seven sacks. The defense uncharacteristically gave up quite a few yards on the ground. Phillip Lindsay was able to go for 97 yards on 10 carries. Most of his damage was done in the first half, before the Steelers found their groove. Seemingly straight out of the Fountain of Youth, Bobby Wagner led the Steelers defense with 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 3 sacks on the day. Steelers defenders also forced four interceptions, including a 79 yard touchdown return for Lynn Glover.
The Steelers have now won all 4 games since Josh Rosen's return and look to close out the season on a five game winning streak when they travel to Cleveland to take on the Division Rival 11-4 Browns. The Browns are also coming off of a dominant defensive effort against the Buffalo Bills, so it will be interesting to see how this game turns out. Depending on how some other games turn out, it might be possible for the Steelers to knock the Browns out of the Wild Card spot.