The Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to 8-5 on the season after a win over the Arizona Cardinals. Here is a recap of the game.
It was a brilliant start for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Facing the 3-8-1 Arizona Cardinals, Mike Tomlin’s team opened the week as a pick’em. However, it didn’t take long for the Steelers to jump out to a lead.
The first quarter was brilliantly executed. Pittsburgh’s defense barely allowed an inch to Kyler Murray and company. After a field goal and a beautiful 85-yard punt return for a touchdown, the Steelers held a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter didn’t exactly go as planned. Arizona head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, found a way to nullify the Steelers pass rush by increasing the tempo. This lead to Pittsburgh being outscored 10-3, and the Steelers held just a 3-point lead heading into the half.
The third quarter played to the hands of the Steelers. Devlin Hodges and the offense had a long, sustained drive that they capped off with a touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson. Pittsburgh’s defense yet again looked very good. While the Cardinals did have a drive that almost resulted in points, Joe Haden was able to take the ball away in enemy territory.
Though they entered the fourth quarter with a 20 to 10 lead, Mike Tomlin and Randy Fichtner made some head-scratching calls. The first came on a failed fake punt from Jordan Berry.
Despite having a two-score lead with just 8 minutes left in the game, Tomlin’s poor decision put the Steelers defense in another tough position. The Cardinals immediately threw for a touchdown to bring the game to 20-17.
When Pittsburgh was trying to run the clock out, Fichtner called a screen pass that was incomplete for Johnson. This stopped the clock and gave time for the Cardinals to make one final stand.
In the end, Pittsburgh took care of business and won their 7th game in the last 8 contests. If they can take care of Buffalo at home next week, this team could be on the fast track to a playoff appearance this year.