Thank you for joining us for another week of the live game blog and discussion thread! The Steelers have a tall task ahead of them facing one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL especially with Kenny Pickett making his first career start. Pickett flashed and showed a lot of competitive toughness in his first half played in the league last week, so expectations are perhaps higher than they should be going into his first start.
There are some reasons to be optimistic against this normally stout defense as S Jordan Poyer, ILB Tremaine Edmunds, and CB Christian Benford are inactive for the game with injuries. Also, DTs Ed Oliver and Jordan Phillips were limited all week in practice with injuries. That is a lot to try and overcome for the Bills on defense.
The Steelers have their own injury issues on defense with Terrell Edmunds and Ahkello Witherspoon out for today’s game, but again their task is slightly easier with WRs Isaiah McKenzie and Jake Kumerow, and TE Dalton Knox out with injuries.
Refresh the page throughout the game for interesting tweets, video highlights, and more. Also, join the discussion at the bottom of the page in the comment section!
STEELERS INACTIVE PLAYERS
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
S Terrell Edmunds
QB Mason Rudolph
G Kendrick Green
DE Isaiahh Loudermilk
ILB Mark Robinson
WR Gunner Olszewski
BILLS INACTIVE PLAYERS
WR Isaiah McKenzie
WR Jake Kumerow
TE Dawson Knox
OL Justin Murray
LB Tremaine Edmunds
CB Christian Benford
S Jordan Poyer
Looks like TJ Watt will be out until after the bye after all, but not because of the pec issue.
START OF GAME.
The opening kickoff was fumbled by the return man at the goal line and he was tackled by Tre Norwood at the 1 yard line. Bills start out with awful field position. Steelers defense must take advantage.
Demarvin Leal batted the ball down on first down. Allen had plenty of time, but nothing open downfield. Cam Heyward and Myles Jack in on the tackle on 2nd down for no gain. 3rd and 10 from their own 2 yard line, Allen dropped back and tossed it deep. Complete to Gabe Davis for a 98 yard touchdown. 7-0 Bills.
James Pierre put back to receive the kickoff. He muffed it and the Bills recover. On the 17 yard line with 2nd and 6, Singletary barreled forward for the first down, but holding called. 2nd and 16, Levi Wallace in on the tackle with a group of Steelers defenders for a loss. 3rd and 20, Allen took another shot to Gabe Davis, but incomplete. Field goal unit coming out and the kick was blocked. The Steelers somehow escape that nightmarish sequence with decent field position only down 7.
Kenny Pickett’s first play was play action with a roll out to his right. Complete to Derek Watt in the flat, but tackled for a gain of just 1. Najee Harris swallowed up in the backfield on 2nd down for a loss of 2. 3rd and 11, already testing Pickett in his first start with down and distance. He complete a pass to George Pickens on a comeback towards the sideline for 12 yards and a first.
Another first down for the Steelers with Chase Claypool lowering his shoulder for 11. Pickett getting in a rhythm.
On 1st and 10, Najee Harris rushed for 6 off the right side of the line. 2nd and 4, the pass was batted at the line of scrimmage. On 3rd and manageable, Pickett found Zach Gentry for a gain of 9. The Steelers are converting on third down? Amazing.
On 1st and 10, Pickett rolled out and found George Pickens for a gain of 12. Another first down. Pickett has this offense moving. What a beautiful thing to watch.
Najee Harris gained a total of two yards on 1st and 2nd, so a crucial 3rd and 8 in the red zone coming. Diontae Johnson nearly brought in a tough catch with one hand, but he couldn’t quite get the 2nd foot in. Two weeks in a row with a near-catch like that. Von Miller was injured on the play.
The Steelers took their foot off the pedal with the passing game down in the red zone and it stalled out the drive. The Chris Boswell field goal is good. 7-3 Bills.
Chris Boswell’s kickoff was returned the 35 yard line. Josh Allen takes over with decent field position.
On 1st and 10, Arthur Maulet stuffed stuffed Singletary for no gain. On 2nd, Allen connected with Shakir for 31 yards. Three Steelers in the area, and a great catch and throw.
On 1st and 10, Josh Allen evaded pressure by Devin Bush and scrambled for 16 yards. Now in the red zone.
On 1st, Allen dialed one up deep to Stefon Diggs near the end zone, but it fell incomplete. Slightly off target throw by Allen. On 2nd and 10, Allen kept the ball, but was stuffed by Cam Heyward for a gain of 1. 3rd and 9, another shot to Diggs deep, but it was nowhere in the area. Another field goal attempt and its good. 10-3 Bills.
The Bills kickoff rolled out of the back of the end zone for a touchback.
Najee Harris got the ball and rushed for 3 yards off the right end. 2nd and 7, Pickett rolled out and evaded pressure. He connected with Pat Freiermuth, but holding brought the play back. Gentry called for the hold. Pickett connected with Diontae Johnson throwing on the move. Johnson wiggled away from defenders for a gain of 11. 3rd and 6, incomplete pass intended for Johnson in the middle of the field. Johnson let the ball slip through his hands and it was nearly picked off. That has to be caught by Johnson.
Punt unit coming out. Harvin III’s punt was downed at the 1 yard line by James Pierre after a Steelers roll. The punt went 69 yards. Nice.
Now the Steelers defense needs to make up for their early blunder in the same scenario.
False start on 1st and 10 to make it 1st and 11. Zack Moss picked up 7 yards in a big cutback lane. 2nd and 4 after the break.
END OF 1ST QUARTER: 10-3 BILLS.
Levi Wallace knocked the deep pass away at the last moment on 2nd down. Josh Allen tried the deep pass again. This time complete to Hodgins for 26 yards. Tre Norwood overtop in coverage. Maybe a miscommunication with Levi Wallace who didn’t carry his man deep enough.
On 1st and 10, Leal batted the ball again nearly picked off. 2nd and 10, Cam Sutton in to stuff Cook for a loss of 1. 3rd and 11, Morris caught the pass and ran with no defenders in the same zip code. Definitely a miscommunication somewhere in there. Gave them a free conversion there.
1st and 10, Cook rushed for two, tackled by Myles Jack and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Stefon Diggs picked up 18 yards. The Bills are just outside of the red zone. They started the drive at their own 2 yard line. Levi Wallace intercepted the pass intended for Gave Davis in the end zone. Bailed out the defense after allowing a long drive.
Pittsburgh goes a quick three-and-out. The defense did not get much break there in between drives. The Bills start out at their own 38 yard line.
Josh Allen dialed up another deep shot on to Gabe Davis. Once again, complete for a touchdown. The Steelers are getting torched. That ball went nearly 60 yards through the air and Gabe Davis made a tough catch. 17-3 Bills.
It was so close to being picked off by Minkah, but Davis ripped it away.
Touchback for the Steelers.
Najee Harris picked up just 2 yards on 1st and 2nd. Incomplete to Diontae Johnson on 3rd. Another short series for the offense. The team needs to stop running on first and second. Harvin’s punt went just 26 yards. The wind is bad, but that is below the line.
Bills start with the ball near the midfield mark.
Singletary rushed for 23 with 15 more yards tacked on via penalty by Myles Jack. The next play was a short touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs. 24-3 Bills.
Kenny Pickett with two conversions on the first two plays of the drive. 21 yards gains in two plays – one to Pickens and one to Gentry.
On 1st, Najee Harris was targeted short, but the ball fell incomplete. Off Najee’s hands. 2nd and 10, Pickett found Diontae Johnson for 5 yards. 3rd and 5, Pickens deep left for 29 yards. An explosive play for the offense.
Pickett on 3rd and 9, complete to Pat Freiermuth for 4 yards. Jordan Phillips injured for the Bills on the play. He was questionable coming into the game with a hamstring injury.
Chris Boswell came out for the field goal and the ball was taken away by the wind. Wide left. The Steelers are going to go into the half down 24-3 (if they are lucky).
Buffalo gets the ball at their own 23 yard line. On 1st down, Diggs picked up 3 with a short pass tackled by Levi Wallace. On 2nd, Shakir picked up 20 with a short catch and long run.
On 1st and 10, incomplete to Shakir deep right, but picked up 13 yards the next play to Quinton Morris with Devin Bush in coverage.
TWO MINUTE WARNING.
Bills in Pittsburgh territory at the 41 yard line. Plenty of time to hand another 3 or even 7 before the half. Pittsburgh gets the ball after halftime.
Stefon Diggs pushed out of bounds after a gain of 12. 1st and 10 from the 29 yard line. Allen scrambled for 5 yards. On 2nd and 5, Allen incomplete to Morris deep right. The ball hit Spillane in the back. On 3rd and 5, Shakir touchdown on a 24 yard pass. James Pierre injured on the play. 31-3 Bills.
Total embarrassment. You have to feel for Kenny Pickett. Tough first start. Not his fault at all through the first half.
On 1st, Pickett to Najee for 5 yards. Offsides on Von Miller makes it a first down. On 1st and 10, Kenny Pickett went deep left intended for Diontae Johnson, but picked off by Kaiir Elam.
END OF FIRST HALF: 31-3 BILLS.
Join us for the second half here.
