Steelers hold the Cardinals for their 8th win of the season
By Tommy Jaggi
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.
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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.