Bills Trounce Steelers Thanks to Remarkable Rushing Attack
In a game with major playoff implications for both teams, the Buffalo Bills traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. Going into the game, the Bills were 7-4, sitting in the final AFC Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the Steelers had a hold of the number four seed at 6-5, needing a win to stay in the lead of the AFC North. The Bills ended up victorious, winning by a score of 26-7. With the win, the Bills stayed in a playoff spot while the Steelers dropped down to ninth in the AFC’s standings. The Bills will play their second straight opponent from that division as they take on the 4-8 Cincinnati Bengals, who now have a slim but decent chance to take the divisional crown with Joe Burrow healthy again. On the other hand, the Steelers will travel to Baltimore to establish bragging rights over the division for now.
First Half Mistakes Hindered the Offense
The first half was the exemplification of sloppy football. The Bills got the ball first and capitalized on that by giving the ball to the Steelers via a Josh Allen interception. The next few drives detailed much of the same for both teams, with a punt battle between Corliss Waitman and Mitch Wishnowsky. After seven combined drives of zero points from both teams, one final drive from Buffalo that ended in a fumble lost at their own 39-yard line led to the Steelers scoring the first touchdown of the game halfway through the second quarter. Committing four offensive penalties, turning the ball over twice, and punting twice in a half is no formula for success.
The Bills' Running Game Carried the Offense
It’s gotten to a point in the season where offensive coordinator Joe Brady would probably prefer to run the ball rather than rely on his receiving corps. In this game, newly acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks was active for his first game and was accompanied by Khalil Shakir, Gabe Davis, Tyrell Shavers, and Keon Coleman, who was a healthy scratch for the two previous games. The game plan of utilizing the team’s three running backs ended up being the right call. The Bills finished with 249 rushing yards as a team, breaking the record for most rushing yards allowed at Acrisure Stadium. James Cook continued his exceptional season, compiling 35 touches for 177 scrimmage yards. Also, all Bills running backs combined for 49 touches while Allen only attempted 23 passes in the game.
Bills' Defense Changed the Game’s Momentum
At the beginning of the second half, the Steelers had a chance to break open the game with a 14-0 lead. However, Joey Bosa had other things in mind, strip-sacking Aaron Rodgers for his league-leading fifth forced fumble of the season, which led to a scoop-and-score touchdown for Buffalo’s first lead of the game. Unfortunately for Rodgers, he got injured during that turnover, which sidelined him for the next drive. With Mason Rudolph under center, the Steelers offense went from bad to worse with Rudolph throwing an interception to Christian Benford on his second pass attempt. Benford’s pick was his second takeaway in two drives, showing he’s still a cornerback to be feared in this league.
