The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills will finally play their Wild Card round playoff game with kickoff at 4:30 PM ET. The game was delayed due to a powerful winter storm that caused whiteout conditions and brought multiple feet of snow accumulations. The weather will still be cold and slightly windy, but the chance of snow has fallen to 50 percent. Other than fans having nowhere to sit with snow still piled up in the stands, the game should be relatively normal—a far cry from what was expected just a few days ago.
Both teams are riding hot streaks into the playoffs as they each needed every bit of their win streaks to get into the playoffs. The Bills are the hottest team in the league riding a five-game win streak while the Steelers have won their last three. QB Mason Rudolph will get his first playoff start in a hostile environment dealing with cold weather. Allen has been in this situation multiple times before and should have an enthusiastic Buffalo fanbase behind him for the game.
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Steelers Inactives:
QB Mitch Trubisky (3rd QB)
OLB T.J. Watt
CB Darius Rush
OT Dylan Cook
ILB Blake Martinez
DL DeMarvin Leal
S Elijah Riley
Bills Inactives:
WR Gabe Davis
S Taylor Rapp
CB Rasul Douglas
LB Tyrel Dodson
T Alec Anderson
DE Kingsley Jonathan
DT Poona Ford
Check out Alex Kozora’s weekly pregame thread previewing the Steelers-Bills matchup here.
The Bills won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Mason Rudolph and the Steelers will start with the ball.
START OF GAME
The kickoff was a line drive and was fielded by Jaylen Warren returned to the 30-yard line.
1st and 10, a toss to RB Najee Harris for a gain of two. 2nd and 8, a screen pass to Warren for 15 yards and OG Isaac Seumalo leading the way.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, Rudolph’s pass was deflected at the line. 3rd and 8, Rudolph overthrew TE Pat Freiermuth and it sailed out of bounds. Pressley Harvin III’s punt went just 30 yards, fair caught at the 21-yard line.
1st and 10, Josh Allen complete to Khalil Shakir for 5 yards. 2nd and 5, James Cook off left tackle for 4 yards. 3rd and 1, Allen leapt over the pile to try to convert and it was very close, but it looked good enough to convert.
1st and 10, Eric Rowe in coverage on Dalton Kincaid and a 20-yard reception. Rowe did a nice job trying to punch the ball out at the catch point, but a solid grab by Kincaid.
1st and 10, complete to Diggs on a WR screen to the left for 10 yards.
1st and 10, Cook up the middle for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, complete to Diggs near the right hash for 12 yards.
1st and 10, Cook up the middle for 12 yards. The Bills’ offense is rolling.
1st and 10 in the red zone, Cook off left tackle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, complete to Dawson Knox for 9 yards and a touchdown. 7-0 Bills.
The kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Harris up the middle for 3 yards. 3rd and 4, Rudolph incomplete to Diontae Johnson. Harvin’s punt went 42 yards to the 27-yard line.
1st and 10, Allen missed Diggs along the right sideline. 2nd and 10, Patrick Peterson missed the easy sack and Allen scrambled for 8 yards. 3rd and 2, a miss to Kincaid. A lucky three-and-out for the Steelers. The punt went 47 yards to the 18-yard line with no return.
WR George Pickens caught the first down pass and lunged forward, but fumbled. The Bills recovered. The play is being reviewed as they initially ruled it incomplete. It should end up a fumble, and not good for the Steelers early in the game.
It was overturned as a fumble. The Steelers are in a very dangerous situation early in the game.
1st and 10 just outside the red zone, Allen complete to Kincaid for a touchdown. 14-0 Bills.
1st and 10, Warren up the middle for a gain of about one. 2nd and 9, the pass was patted down by Ed Oliver at the line of scrimmage. 3rd and 9, the pass was deflected and nearly picked off, but it fell incomplete. Harvin’s punt went 31 yards to the Buffalo 43-yard line.
The offense is being forced into a pass-first game plan and that will not work for the duration of the game. The defense will need to provide a spark of some kind to even things out.
1st and 10, complete to Diggs for no gain wide left. 2nd and 10, incomplete to Kincaid with coverage by Rowe. 3rd and 10, Minkah Fitzpatrick shot out of a cannon into the flat to tackle the catch for a loss of 4. A much needed three-and-out. The punt went 52 yards to the Steelers’ 8-yard line.
Rudolph complete to Freiermuth for a big gain, but he fumbled while going down at the end of the play. Buffalo has challenged that the ball went out of bounds. The play was upheld and the Steelers get a huge break. All that results in a 33-yard gain for Pittsburgh. The Bills are out of challenges with two already in the first quarter.
1st and 10, complete to Allen Robinson II for 13 yards.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 9 yards.
END OF 1ST QUARTER: 14-0 BILLS
2nd and 1, Harris off right tackle for 11 yards and a couple stiff arms.
1st and 10 near the red zone, Rudolph sacked for a loss of 11 yards. RT Broderick Jones got completely crossed over there. 2nd and 21, Warren around the left end for 12 yards. 3rd and 9, Rudolph evaded pressure and found Freiermuth who bulldozed a would-be tackler for 12 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 in the red zone, Warren up the middle for a gain of 1. 2nd and 9, incomplete pass, but Johnson was interfered with.
1st and goal from the 3-yard line, Harris stopped behind the line for a loss of one. 2nd and goal from the 4, intercepted by Kaiir Elam in the end zone. The Steelers come away empty-handed.
1st and 10, Cook up the middle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, Allen complete to Cook for 3 yards brought down by Rowe. 3rd and 5, complete to Diggs for 7 yards.
1st and 10, Cook up the middle for 9 yards. 2nd and 1, Cook up the middle for 4 yards.
1st and 10, Allen incomplete to Andy Isabella. 2nd and 10, complete to Cook for 3 yards. 3rd and 7, Allen scrambled up the middle for a 52-yard touchdown. 21-0 Bills.
The kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, incomplete to Darnell Washington. 3rd and 7, Rudolph incomplete with Oliver in his face. Harvin’s punt went 51 yards to the 22-yard line.
1st and 10, complete to Cook for 4 yards. Elandon Roberts slow to get up after the play. 2nd and 6, Cook out of bounds for 4 yards to the right. 3rd and 2, Ty Johnson on a second effort to convert.
1st and 10, complete to Deonte Harty for 33 yards.
1st and 10, Cook up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, incomplete pass. 3rd and 7, nearly intercepted by Rowe, but incomplete. The field goal was blocked by Montravius Adams and recovered by Nick Herbig. The Steelers are suddenly in scoring position after a healthy roll.
1st and 10, Warren off left tackle for 10 yards.
TWO MINUTE WARNING
1st and 10, Rudolph complete to Pickens in the middle of the field for 5 yards. Timeout by Buffalo. 2nd and 5, complete to Pickens for 5 yards.
1st and 10 at the 13-yard line, Warren up the middle for 3 yards. Timeout by Buffalo. 2nd and 7, Rudolph to Diontae Johnson for the touchdown. 21-7 Bills.
1st and 10, complete to Diggs and a hard hit by Fitzpatrick. Diggs was slow to get up. Diggs ran off the field, he should be fine. There was a 10-second runoff due to the injury and no timeouts. 2nd and 5, complete to Shakir for 9 yards.
1st and 10, Markus Golden sacked Allen to essentially end the half. 2nd and 17, Pittsburgh called timeout with two seconds remaining. Allen kneeled the ball to send it to halftime.
END OF 1ST HALF: 21-7 BILLS
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