Here is a look at what went right and wrong in the Steelers’ come-from-behind win against the Broncos on Sunday evening.
A lot has to go right when you’re facing the league’s top rated defensive unit, especially if you want to score 34 points. That said, there were several things that went wrong and caused the Steelers to go down by 17 at Heinz Field.
What went wrong?
After a hot start in which the Steelers’ defense stripped the football and DeAngelo Williams plunged into the end zone for the game’s first score, it was all Broncos in the first half.
While the Broncos certainly played well in the first half, much of their success was directly related to the Steelers’ lack of execution on defense. Poor assignment football and a slow start on offense had the Steelers looking at a 27 to 10 game in no time.
Former Steeler Emmanuel Sanders made his old team pay for one blunder in particular. After the Steelers’ secondary blew an assignment, Sanders was streaking down the field on his way to a 61 yard score.
The first half of Sunday’s game was a low point for the Steelers’ defense. Playing a somewhat inept offense at home, they made Brock Osweiler look like a seasoned vet on his way to a Pro Bowl.
Even after the Steelers had all but mounted their electrifying comeback, they did not play mistake-free football. Late in the game, Ben Roethlisberger made an uncharacteristically poor decision that could have led to his team’s loss.
Trying to push the pace and remain unpredictable, the team threw the ball late in the game when they needed to keep the clock running, and the pass was intercepted. While the team came out on top, this was the kind of mistake that could have cost them the game.
It didn’t, and here’s a look at what went right.
In the second half, just about everything went right. While the Steelers’ offense sliced and diced the best defense in the league, their own defense experienced a renaissance as they stifled the offense they couldn’t touch in the first half.
Antonio Brown dominated the Broncos’ secondary and Ben Roethlisberger rarely missed on their way to putting up 34 points on a defense that hadn’t allowed more than 29 in a game. If Brown hadn’t already established himself as the league’s best wide receiver, he did so against the vaunted Chris Harris Jr. of the Broncos.
While Ben threw one bad pass that was intercepted and the Broncos made an excellent play on another interception, the quarterback was largely on his game. He tore apart the Bronco’s secondary, making tough and contested throws look easy.
If the Steelers that showed up during the second half of the game against the Broncos can continue to show up, the Steelers can beat anyone. They need to start by showing up against the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns to finish out the 2015 season. If they do that they’re in.