The Pittsburgh Steelers started off the game near perfect with an opening drive touchdown followed by a quick three-and-out. Mason Rudolph’s accuracy issues became a factor throughout the rest of the half as the Steelers were able to move the ball, but either stalled out or turned the ball over. The game is tied 10-10 as the Detroit Lions will get the ball back after the half. The rain is coming down hard and it has a chance to turn into snow as the game progresses.
The Lions are unable to pass, but the running game has picked up steam, including a 28 yard scoring run. The pass rush isn’t getting home, but there have only been 7 opportunities to rush the passer so far.
The opening kickoff of the half was returned to the 45 yard line, but there was holding on the return team. Lions get the ball at the 15 yard line. D’Andre Swift opens the half with a 16 yard run. Minkah Fitzpatrick was injured on the play.
The Steelers needed to bottle up the run game in the second half, and through one play that is not going well. Swift again on first down, but brought down by TJ Watt for only a yard. The Lions attempted a screen pass, but it fell incomplete. 3rd and 9, and the Lions manage to pickup 12 for the first on an end around. Minkah Fitzpatrick on the tackle, so the injury was minor.
The run game is absolutely gashing the Steelers and they don’t seem to have an answer. Devin Bush and Minkah Fitzpatrick each flat out missed a tackle as a run up the middle turned into a 42 yard touchdown run. Devin Bush absolutely has to make that tackle. No clue what he was doing there. The extra point was missed. 16-10 Lions.
Mason Rudolph ran about 50 yards to gain 26 on an odd scramble to start the offensive drive for the Steelers. Najee Harris with a nice block to make it possible.
On 1st and 10, Pat Freiermuth targeted, but incomplete low. Probably a smart move by Mason with Freiermuth in triple coverage over the middle. Najee Harris used a couple nice stiff arms to get back to the line of scrimmage before going out of bounds. He was hit late for a personal foul. The Steelers are inside the Lions’ 35 yard line now.
On 1st down, Rudolph incomplete to Diontae Johnson. The pass was on target, but the defender got a hand in there to knock it incomplete. Najee Harris around the left side for 7 yards on 2nd before catching a pass for 5 yards on third to convert.
Defensive offsides gave the Steelers the free play, but Diontae Johnson also called for pass interference. The flags offset, so a do-over. Benny Snell got the ball on 1st and went around the left for 4 yards. Rudolph targeted James Washington deep in the end zone, but it was lucky to not be intercepted. Rudolph scrambled again on third down for the new set of downs, but a flag is down. Offsides on defense declined.
First and goal for the Steelers. Incomplete intended for James Washington on a quick slant. On 2nd down, incomplete again as Rudolph threw the ball away. 3rd and goal from the five yard line, Ray-Ray McCloud was open for the touchdown, but Rudolph missed him low. The Chris Boswell field goal is good. 16-13 Lions.
Another decent return for the Lions. Special teams failing the team today. Starting from the 33 yard line.
TJ Watt pressured Goff on first down, and Terrell Edmunds batted the pass down. D’Andre Swift for 4 yards on 2nd down to set up 3rd and 6. Goff doubled his passing yardage output with a screen pass that picked up a first down.
3rd and 5 on Pittsburgh’s 39 yard line. Just outside of field goal range. A stop here is huge. Goff pass short right and tackled by James Pierre at the line of scrimmage. Excellent play for Pierre. The Lions lined up to go for it on 4th and 5. Tried to draw the Steelers offsides, but called for delay of game. Punt time
Ray-Ray McCloud continues to be the go to player on third down, and I don’t think anyone is all that comfortable with it.
Najee Harris stopped for no gain on first down, but managed 6 yards on 2nd down. Trey Flowers down injured for the Lions after the play. 3rd and 4, and Rudolph goes deep down the left side of the field to James Washington, the pass fell incomplete. James Washington probably should have been able to haul that in.
Pressley Harvin with a 41 yard punt, the Lions will start at the 18 yard line. D’Andre Swift over 100 yards rushing, gets 1 yard up the middle on 1st down.
TJ Watt somehow managed to get a sack when the Lions are barely passing, but it came at a cost. Watt is holding his knee. Time to panic.
Watt managed to walk off under his own power, albeit a little limp. Good sign at least that he is not being helped or carted off. I would not expect to see him back in this game either way though.
3rd and 15 after the sack, and a false start makes it 3rd and 20. Jared Goff dumped it off to Swift brought down for a gain of five. The Steelers should get good field position.
TJ Watt is walking around rather well on the sideline. He didn’t go into the locker room.
Najee Harris combined for 12 yards on the first two runs of the drive.
Najee got the ball again on first down for a couple yards around the left end on a quick pitch getting pushed out of bounds. Up the middle for Najee for his fourth run in a row. Three yards picked up to make 3rd and 5. Again, on 3rd down Mason Rudolph dials up a deep pass to James Washington and it again does not end well. Offensive pass interference on Washington and this moves the Steelers out of field goal range. Big mistake there.
Najee Harris manages to gain those 10 yards back from the penalty and put the Steelers back in field goal range to tie it up. 51 yard attempt for Boswell in the rain and he nails it right down the middle with plenty of power on it. Boswell is spectacular. 16-16 Even.
Injuries are really starting to pile up for the Steelers right before their most difficult stretch of the season.
TJ Watt hasn’t returned to the game with Taco Charlton in, but he is on the sideline.
The Steelers force 3rd and 10 and Goff hits his receiver for 5 yards. They will be forced to punt. The Steelers are back in the drivers seat after a worrisome start to the half.
MIles Killebrew called for running into the kicker. A major sell on the punter, and a terrible call. 4th and 5 becomes 4th and 1. The Lions go for it and they convert. Referees did them a major solid there with under 10:00 remaining in the game.
Alex Highsmith deep in the backfield for the tackle. A loss of five on the run for the Lions. 2nd and 15. James Pierre made a great athletic tackle on the perimeter at the line of scrimmage for no gain, so 3rd and 15. D’Andre Swift gets the handoff and goes around the left end tackled by Alex Highsmith and Minkah Fitzpatrick for 5 yards. The punt will happen after all.
Ray-Ray McCloud returned the ball to the 29 yard line. The Steelers have an opportunity to gain control of this game here.
Najee Harris gets the ball on first down up the middle for a gain of three. Diontae Johnson gets nine and a fresh set of downs on 2nd down with a short pass from Mason Rudolph.
Najee Harris on first down again, this time only for a yard. Najee gets involved in the passing game, turning what should have been a loss into a 6 yard gain. Diontae Johnson was wide open for the first down on a quick slant, but Mason Rudolph was off target. The throw was too hard for what the situation called for. The Steelers punt and it is fair caught at the 13 yard line.
With 04:27 remaining in the game, the Lions have a chance to eat up the clock and put this game away, especially with the success they have had on the ground today.
Alex Highsmith in for the tackle for loss. A great play for him. The Lions called for an illegal low block, but it was declined due to the tackle for loss. On 2nd and 14, Swift went off right tackle for a gain of 2. Isaiahh Loudermilk in for the tackle. 3rd and 12 for the Lions. Pittsburgh called a timeout, then Detroit called a timeout. An important 3rd and 12.
Cameron Heyward makes the big stop on 3rd down with the sack. A huge and timely three-and-out by the Steelers defense down TJ Watt. Alex Highsmith was also in on the sack. A loss of 9 on the play.
The Lions punted from the very back of their own end zone and it resulted in Ray-Ray McCloud fair catch on the Lions 48 yard line. The Steelers really only need about 15-20 yards for the go-ahead field goal.
Incomplete to Diontae Johnson over the middle on first down. Mason missed him once again. Najee Harris went up the middle for a gain of three. The Steelers only needed about 15 yards, they were only able to get two. Pressley Harvin’s punt goes for a touchback, highly unfortunate.
The Lions go to Swift right up the middle for about 6 yards.
TWO MINUTE WARNING.
Jared Goff complete on a hook route to Khalif Raymond for a first down.
The Lions are letting the clock run a bit, but the Steelers called a timeout. It is pretty unclear to me why.
00:41 remaining, the Lions need about 15-20 yards to be in field goal range. Tre Norwood broke up the deep pass that would have likely clinched the game for the Lions. 3rd and 10 now with 00:35 remaining.
James Pierre with great coverage on 3rd down to force the punt. The Steelers will have one timeout and 19 seconds to get into Chris Boswell range. Mason Rudolph kneeled to send the game to overtime.
END OF REGULATION 16-16 EVEN.
The Lions won the toss and will start with the ball. The return gets back to the 26 yard line.
Jared Goff dropped back on first and doubled his entire day’s passing yardage output on the first play in overtime. Devin Bush in coverage and an explosive 30 yard reception for the Lions – brutal.
First and second down only netted three yards for the Lions on the ground bringing up 3rd and 7 outside of field goal range. Cameron Heyward in for another huge play, sacking Jared Goff for a loss of nine yards. Well out of field goal range. Flag is down though, but its a hold on the offense. Declined.
The Lions are forced to punt and the Steelers will take over at their own 17 after the punt. Najee Harris up the middle for a gain of two yards on first.
Diontae Johnson made the big play, catching and running for 40 yards, but Johnson had the ball punched out at the end of the run. Murphy’s Law is setting in heavily.
Detroit will only need about 20 yard to win this game.
The first down pass by Jared Goff was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick, but wiped out by a Devin Bush hold.
First down at midfield and D’Andre Swift is brought down for about a yard. Again to Swift for about 2 yards off the right tackle. Tre Norwood called for roughing the passer.
The Lions are at the target field goal mark and Swift gets an 8 yard run on the pitch. The 3rd down run is good for a first down, but a hold on the Lions will tack 10 yard back with an offensive holding. At the very least making the field goal attempt difficult for a replacement kicker. 3rd and 14, and they gain 8 yards on the screen pass. The field goal will be 48 yards in the rain with a backup kicker.
The field goal is short. Wow. This game is totally whacky, and will probably end in a tie at this point.
A high snap for the Steelers goes over the head of Rudolph. Najee Harris is able to get on the ball, but he gets hurt in the process. 3rd and 25. The Steelers try to go deep on 3rd and 25 to Pat Freiermuth. The ball is nearly picked off.
The Pressley Harvin punt was good for 50 yards. Returned about 18 yards by Khalif Raymond to midfield.
1st and 10, Jared Goff sacked for a 13 yard loss by Terrell Edmunds on a safety blitz. The Lions are now back on the their own 32 yard line. This game is going to be a tie.
A drop brings up 3rd and 23. Jared Goff tries deep to St. Brown. Nearly intercepted by Tre Norwood, but he couldn’t haul it in. Offensive holding declined.
The Lions punting unit is out on the field.
The punt was good for 47 yards for no return. Ulysees Gilbert III called for holding and the Steelers are backed up to their own 11 yard line.
The first down play is a pass to Pat Freiermuth good for 10 yard and a first down.
Another target to Freiermuth on first down, but this time dropped in the flat. He turned too early to run upfield instead of securing the ball. 1:26 remaining with one timeout for each team. 2nd and 10, complete to Ray-Ray McCloud for 6 yards and the clock running. Pat Freiermuth gets the grab on 3rd down to convert for a fresh set.
On first down, an incomplete pass to Diontae Johnson. On 2nd, Eric Ebron complete over the middle for 9 yards. Najee Harris gets the pass on 3rd down to cross midfield and pickup the first down.
The Steelers used their final timeout.
Mason Rudolph incomplete to Ray-Ray McCloud on first down. Diontae Johnson for 10 yards and he gets out of bounds on 2nd down. The Steelers are right around field goal range.
00:15 remaining in the game. The Steelers have maybe one more play to pick up a couple yards to help out Chris Boswell.
Pat Freiermuth caught the ball and lowered his shoulder instead of getting out of bounds. He ended up fumbling and the Lions recovered. Game over with 00:08 remaining.
FINAL SCORE 16-16 TIE.
