The Pittsburgh Steelers stole three points at the end of the first half to bring it to 10-9. They are trailing, but they will receive the ball in the second half with a chance to take the lead. Still, three field goals isn’t what many hoped for out of the revamped offense in the first half.
The Falcons’ offense was hot and cold. The Steelers mostly did a good job at containing them. There were probably a couple penalties that didn’t go the Steelers way that were a bit unfortunate, but here we are with a one-point game entering the second half.
START OF 2ND HALF
1st and 10, Najee Harris off left tackle for 5 yards. 2nd and 5, Harris off left end for 1 yard. 3rd and 4, Fields tried to extend a play and took a 15-yard sack by Grady Jarrett.
Cameron Johnston’s punt went 58 yards but was returned 28 yards to the 49-yard line.
1st and 10, Bijan Robinson for 4 yards off right tackle. 2nd and 6, Robinson off left tackle for 4 yards. 3rd and 2, Robinson stopped short of the first down by Elandon Roberts and Cameron Heyward. 4th and inches, Robinson end around for 10 yards. Steelers sold out to stop the middle and an easy conversion for Robinson.
1st and 10, the snap hit the motion man for a fumble and T.J. Watt dove right on top of it for a turnover.
1st and 10, Fields did a wide turn and set his feet to find MyCole Pruitt for 9 yards. 2nd and 1, a deep incomplete to Pickens. 3rd and 1, Fields sneak to convert.
1st and 10, Harris off left tackle for 5 yards. 2nd and 5, Harris off left tackle for 2 yards. Defensive holding called to convert.
1st and 10, Fields checked down to Pruitt for an incomplete pass. 2nd and 10, Cordarrelle Patterson up the middle for 2 yards. 3rd and 8, incomplete to Calvin Austin III, but it would have been short anyways. Boswell was good from 56 yards out. 12-10 Steelers.
1st and 10, Tyler Allgeier off left tackle for 7 yards. 2nd and 3, Allgeier off left end for 1 yards brought down by Watt and Highsmith. 3rd and 2, complete to Kyle Pitts for a first down, but illegal use of hands to the face called on the Falcons. 3rd and 12, T.J. Watt sacked Cousins and forced a fumble, but hands to the face called on the Steelers for an automatic first down.
1st and 10, Robinson off right tackle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, Montravius Adams sacked Cousins for a loss of 9. 3rd and 17, Cousins complete to Charlie Woerner for 4 yards. The punt went 55 yards, returned 14 by Austin. Five yards tacked on to the return due to the Falcons running out of bounds on purpose during the coverage.
1st and 10, Fields dialed up a deep pass to George Pickens for 40 yards. A double explosive play! What a terrible camera angle by Fox there. I think they thought the Steelers would run. Pickens ruled down by contact so they called him back a bit. Seemed like another bad call.
1st and 10, Harris off left end for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, Spencer Anderson called for false start. 2nd and 11, Fields designed run for 4 yards. 3rd and 7, Steelers called for illegal shift after a 6-yard completion. 3rd and 12, complete to Pat Freiermuth for 8 yards. Chris Boswell good once again, this time from 40 yards out. 15-10 Steelers.
1st and 10, Robinson around the left end for 5 yards.
END OF 3RD QUARTER
2nd and 5, Robinson picked up a first, but called back by holding. 2nd and 15, Cousins threw the ball at the ground with the screen pass covered. Timeout called by the Steelers. Must not have liked the alignment of things before the snap. T.J. Watt was pumping up the crowd in Atlanta and they responded. 3rd and 15, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Damontae Kazee broke up the pass.
The punt went 58 yards, returned just five by Austin. The Steelers take over at the 22.
1st and 10, Fields scrambled with nothing open downfield for 7 yards. 2nd and 3, Harris off right end and cut back to the middle of the field for 20 yards. Great blocking up front.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 1 yard. 2nd and 9, complete to Freiermuth for 10 yards and a first down to the left boundary.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Jaylen Warren draw up the middle for 8 yards.
1st and 10, Fields around the left end for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, complete to Darnell Washington in the flat for 5 yards. 3rd and 1, Fields scrambled up the middle for 5 yards to convert.
1st and 10, Harris off left tackle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, Harris gained 6 yards and nearly hurdled the guy for a house call. Offsetting penalties on the play. 3rd and 2, complete to Van Jefferson in the flat for a little over a yard. A huge stop by the Falcons there. The Steelers attempted to go for it and Fields was stopped short. They probably should have taken the eight-point lead.
Joey Porter Jr. returned after a brief trip to the medical tent.
1st and 10, Robinson up the middle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, illegal formation called on the Falcons. 2nd and 12 backed way up. This is T.J. Watt territory. Alex Highsmith tipped the pass at the line for an incompletion. 3rd and 12, complete to Pitts for 8 yards, but well short. They will be punting from deep in their own end zone.
The punt went 55 yards, returned 19 by Austin. Illegal block in the back moved the Steelers to the 33. Unfortunately wasted the excellent field position with a ST penalty.
1st and 10, a toss play to Harris for a loss of 3. 2nd and 13, Fields threw the ball into the ground with pressure coming. 3rd and 13, Fields sacked for a loss of 8. That was about as bad as it gets for a drive that could have put the game away.
Cameron Johnston was roughed on the play and got banged up pretty bad. He walked off with assistance, but that is not good for the Steelers’ ace punter. The call ended up being on Pittsburgh, so Boswell has to make his first career punt. Scotty Miller and Tyler Matakevich were solid in coverage after the 51-yard line-drive punt.
1st and 10, Bijan Robinson off left end for 13 yards.
1st and 10, the pocket collapsed from all directions and Cousins tossed an easy interception to Donte Jackson. He returned it 49 yards to the Atlanta 18-yard line.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 1 yard. Timeout No. 1 by Atlanta. 2nd and 9, Fields scrambled for 4 yards. Timeout No. 2 by Atlanta. 3rd and 5, Fields off right tackle for 7 yards and a first down. Timeout No. 3 by Atlanta.
1st and goal, Harris up the middle for 1 yard.
TWO MINUTE WARNING
2nd and goal, Harris lost one yard on the play. 3rd and goal from the 6, Fields tackled for a loss of 1. Who is going to hold for the field goal? That would be Johnston normally, but he left on a cart. It’s an easy field goal as long as the operation goes well. WR Scotty Miller in to hold and the field goal was good. 18-10 Steelers.
They would need to score in 28 seconds with no timeouts and also make the two-point conversion. This game is as good as over.
1st and 10, complete to Ray-Ray McCloud for 7 yards and Beanie Bishop Jr. tackled him before he got out of bounds. Great play to kill clock. They spiked the ball with 13 seconds remaining. 3rd and 3, T.J. Watt finally got his sack and took a bow.
END OF GAME – FINAL SCORE 18-10 STEELERS
