The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first playoff game since 2021 against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Monday, and the result was the same as it has been in Pittsburgh’s last four playoff games, as they fell 31-17. Their season is now over.
The Bills won the coin toss and chose to defer, so the Steelers would start with the ball. On second down, QB Mason Rudolph hit RB Jaylen Warren for a gain of 15 yards and a first down on a dump-off. The Steelers’ drive would stall out at their own 49 after Rudolph’s third-down pass to TE Pat Freiermuth was high and incomplete, and Pittsburgh was forced to punt. P Pressley Harvin III’s punt went just 30 yards and was fair caught at the Buffalo 21.
The Bills picked up a first down on a tush push sneak by QB Josh Allen, and on the next play, Allen hit TE Dalton Kincaid for 20 yards and a first down to midfield. Allen then hit WR Stefon Diggs for a gain of 10 off a screen, and two plays later, Diggs gained 12 and got down to the Pittsburgh 23. RB James Cook then burst through for a 12-yard gain up the middle. Two plays later, TE Dalton Knox caught a nine-yard touchdown from Allen, and the Bills took a 7-0 lead following K Tyler Bass’ extra point. The Bills had zero problem moving the ball against Pittsburgh’s defense on their opening drive touchdown.
Pittsburgh responded with a three-and-out after Rudolph was incomplete on third down, and Harvin’s second punt went 42 yards to the Buffalo 27. But the Steelers were able to force a Buffalo three-and-out on their second drive and would take over at their own 18 with 4:21 left in the first quarter, trailing 7-0. But on the first play of Pittsburgh’s drive, WR George Pickens fumbled after a catch, and the Bills would take over at the Pittsburgh 29.
The Bills immediately went to the end zone as Allen hit Kincaid for 29 yards and a touchdown. After Bass’ extra point, the Bills took a 14-0 lead with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter. The Steelers’ next drive was another three-and-out, and Harvin let go of another bad punt, this one traveling just 30 yards as the Bills took over at their own 44. They would go three-and-out, though, and the Steelers would get the ball back at their own eight-yard line.
On first down, Freiermuth gained 33 yards down to the Pittsburgh 41 on a reception to Freiermuth. He fumbled but it was ruled that he fumbled out of bounds, and then Pittsburgh crossed midfield on a 13-yard reception to WR Allen Robinson II. That was followed by a nine-yard run by RB Najee Harris to the Buffalo 37. On the first play of the second quarter, he ran for another 11 yards and a first down. But Rudolph was sacked for a loss of 11 on the next play, although the Steelers got the yardage back on a 12-yard run by Warren. Then a 12-yard reception by Freiermuth got them a first down at the Buffalo 13.
Two plays later, CB Kaair Elam was flagged for defensive pass interference, and the Steelers had a 1st and Goal at the Buffalo 3. But Elam made up for it, as two plays later, he intercepted Rudolph in the end zone. Buffalo took over at their own 20.
On 3rd and 5, Allen went to Diggs for a first down on a seven-yard gain, and then Cook ran for nine yards. Cook picked up a first down on the next play, and three plays later, Allen ran for 52 yards and a touchdown. The Bills capitalized off the turnover and took a 21-0 lead after Bass’ extra point with 7:01 left in the half.
The Steelers responded with a three-and-out and would again punt. The Bills were able to get to the Pittsburgh 34 on a 33-yard completion to WR Deonte Harty after their drive stalled out, and their field goal attempt was blocked by DL Montravius Adams and recovered by OLB Nick Herbig at the Buffalo 33. The Steelers had some life with 2:14 left in the half. Bills P Sam Martin was also hurt on the play.
A 10-yard run by Warren moved Pittsburgh to the Buffalo 23, and then Rudolph hit Pickens for a five-yard gain, and two plays later he went to WR Diontae Johnson for a 10-yard touchdown. Pittsburgh was able to score off the blocked punt and cut the Buffalo lead to 21-7 after Boswell’s extra point with 1:39 left in the first half.
The Bills didn’t do anything when they got the ball back, and the Steelers would go in the half trailing 21-7.
Buffalo would get the ball to start the second half, but the Bills went three-and-out. P Sam Martin came back out for the punt, which traveled 45 yards but was returned by WR Calvin Austin III 12 yards to the Pittsburgh 40. On 1st and 15, after a false start by TE Darnell Washington, Rudolph again went Johnson’s way, and Pittsburgh gained 19 yards on the reception. Two plays later, Rudolph went to Pickens over the middle for a gain of 13 and another first down, but another false start by Washington moved Pittsburgh back another five yards.
Two plays later, the Steelers picked up another first down with Warren gaining six yards on 2nd and 5, but they quickly faced a 3rd and 9 after two runs went nowhere. The 3rd and 9 throw to Pickens was incomplete, so the Steelers had to bring on their field goal unit. Boswell hit from 40 yards, and the Steelers cut the lead to 21-10 with 8:50 left in the third quarter.
The Bills drive started off with an 11-yard run by Cook for a first down, and the Bills converted a 4th and 1 tush push later in the drive. A 10-yard completion to Kincaid moved them into Pittsburgh territory at their 43 on the next play, and Allen was able to hit Diggs for a first down on 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 41. The Bills would end up settling for a field goal on the drive.
Pittsburgh would pick up a first down on their next drive with a 19-yard completion to Pickens, and then Pickens gained 15 yards on an end around. That was followed by a five-yard run by Warren, and two plays later, the Steelers had another first down inside the red zone on an 11-yard reception by Johnson. On 2nd and 7, Rudolph was incomplete on a shot to Pickens in the end zone, and the Steelers faced a pivotal 3rd and 7. Rudolph went to Johnson, who was able to get just enough for a first down, and Pittsburgh had 1st and Goal at the Buffalo 9. Two plays later, Rudolph hit Austin for a seven-yard score.
Boswell’s extra point made it 24-17 with 10:32 left in the game. A defensive holding penalty gave the Bills five yards to start the drive, and then two James Cook runs gave them a new set of downs at the Buffalo 47. Allen then ran for 13 yards and a first down off a read option, and they moved into field goal range at the Pittsburgh 35 off a five-yard reception to Diggs.
After another run by Allen, the Bills got an extra 15 yards after LB Myles Jack was flagged for unnecessary roughness, and Buffalo was in business at the Pittsburgh 18. Two plays later, Buffalo found the end zone with Allen throwing short to WR Khalil Shakir, who broke a tackle and ran for a 17-yard touchdown. Buffalo went up 31-17 after Bass’ extra point with 6:27 left.
The Steelers were forced to go for it on 4th and 3 on their own 32 with 4:53 left, and they were unable to convert as Rudolph was incomplete to Pickens. That would essentially do it for the game and their season.
The Bills picked up a first down on a nine-yard run by RB Ty Johnson on 2nd and 7, and Johnson would gain 11 down to the Pittsburgh 9 a few plays later. The Bills missed a 27-yard field goal coming out of the two-minute warning, and with 1:57 left, the game would remain 31-17.
Pittsburgh was able to move the ball to the Buffalo 30 with 27 seconds left to play, From there, Rudolph would take a few shots to the end zone but was incomplete. They would lose 31-17.
The loss ends Pittsburgh’s season. Buffalo will advance and take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
