The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-2, but they could easily be 6-0—at least. That’s the feeling in the locker room. They dropped two games in a row, first to an Indianapolis Colts team playing with a backup quarterback, Joe Flacco. A week later, they fell to the Dallas Cowboys, the defense allowing a back-breaking 4th-and-goal touchdown with 26 seconds left.
The Steelers’ defense looked rough on that final drive in Dallas, but they had their chances. Elandon Roberts forced a fumble at the goal line, but the Cowboys recovered. One play literally decided the game, and they botched a comeback attempt in Indianapolis, as well. Just as they were moving with a chance to take the lead, Justin Fields took a snap to the face.
Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders was a get-right game of sorts, for all three phases. That includes special teams, where the Steelers benefited from a punt block by Jeremiah Moon. The first of his career (he had a blocked field goal in college), he talked about the win on Steelers Live.
“It definitely gave us confidence. Everybody in this building feels like we should have those two games that we lost back”, Moon said. “So being able to bounce back, that was a must win for us. Everybody is coming in during the weekend doing their job and making sure we’re the best we can be on Sunday. I think we got the result we wanted”.
The Steelers not only won, but won big, 32-13. That has been a particularly uncommon outcome for them on the road, but they had several things go right, too. Many argue that the Steelers benefited from a favorable officiating crew, for example.
The Steelers held a 12-7 lead at the time of Jeremiah Moon’s punt block a few minutes into the second half of the game. They recovered the ball at the nine-yard line, though could not punch it in. The Steelers scored initially, Pat Freiermuth with a touchdown, but the officials called an illegal forward pass. Chris Boswell gave them a 15-7 lead instead.
While the offense couldn’t fully capitalize, the Steelers responded with a three-and-out on defense. And the offense scored on four of their next five drives after the blocked punt, including two touchdowns. As for the defense, they forced three three-and-outs after the punt block. They also caused two turnovers and allowed just one score, a too-little-too-late touchdown.
The Steelers have four blocked punts since the start of the 2023 season, more than any other team. Special teams coordinator Danny Smith often draws the ire of Steelers fans, but few others generate as many splash plays. The Steelers also had a blocked field goal earlier this season. That three-phase effort is one of the reasons the locker room believes it should win every game.
