‘This performance from the Buffalo’ D’ continued a positive trend that has this group moving toward reclaiming its status as one of the most-feared units in the NFL. After a rough start to the season, the job that head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier have done with this group should be commended.’
Archives for December 14, 2020
Sullivan: Like ’90s forefathers, Bills show knack for rising to the occasion
‘In essence, that was your ballgame. Over a stunning stretch of 8:50, the Bills had scored 20 points against an 11-1 Pittsburgh team that came in leading the NFL in scoring defense at 17.5 points a game. The Bills beat that figure in less than nine minutes of clock.’
Monday’s Pittsburgh Coverage
Steelers lose to Bills, fall out of No. 1 seed in AFC (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Ron Cook: Steelers’ broken offense hits a new low point (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Joe Starkey: Can Ben Roethlisberger still throw the deep ball? (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Paul Zeise: Steelers’ offense is relying way too much on Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Ray Fittipaldo’s Steelers report card: Regressing offense fails again (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Steelers in playoffs for the first time since 2017 (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Photo gallery (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Steelers lose AFC top seed, 2nd game in row with defeat vs. Bills (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger: ‘If I don’t play good enough football, then I need to hang it up’ (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Tim Benz: ‘Airing of Grievances’ starts with putrid Steelers offense, eroding defense in loss to Bills (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Steelers’ Diontae Johnson benched for most of 1st half after 2 more dropped passes (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Steelers down to 4th-string left guard after injuries to Matt Failer, Kevin Dotson (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Steelers clinch 1st playoff berth since 2017 (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Marcus Allen makes 1st start; Ulysees Gilbert, Avery Williamson play plenty at ILB for Steelers (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Anthony McFarland benched by Steelers for Bills game (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
Steelers Suddenly On The Skids After Dismal Loss To Buffalo (AP)
Ben Roethlisberger says struggling Pittsburgh Steelers ‘need to look in the mirror, and it starts with me’ (ESPN)
Steelers’ Diontae Johnson heads to bench after multiple drops early vs. Bills (CBS Sports)
Concern mounting within Steelers’ organization about Ben Roethlisberger knee injury (CBS Sports)
Steelers clinch playoff berth before even taking the field to face the Bills in Week 14 (CBS Sports)
Steelers make highly unusual change to travel plans heading into Week 14 Sunday night showdown with Bills (CBS Sports)
Steelers Defense Sets NFL Record With 70 Consecutive Games With At Least One Sack (KDKA-TV)
Pittsburgh Steelers Officially Clinch Playoff Berth (KDKA-TV)
Steelers set record for 70 consecutive games with at least one sack (WTAE-TV)
Pittsburgh Steelers secure playoff spot ahead of Sunday night game (WTAE-TV)
Steelers say Robert Spillane and Joe Haden are out for Sunday against Buffalo Bills (WTAE-TV)
Steelers record at least one sack in 70 straight games, the longest streak in NFL history (WPXI-TV)
Haden, Spillane ruled out for Steelers’ Sunday night game in Buffalo (WPXI-TV)
Steelers fall to Bills, 26-15 (Steelers.com)
What went right, wrong vs. Bills (Steelers.com)
Labriola on the loss to the Bills (Steelers.com)
Steelers set NFL sack streak record (Steelers.com)
Steelers clinch playoff berth (Steelers.com)
JuJu is Digest Player of the Week (Steelers.com)
Steelers inactives for Week 14 vs Bills (Steelers.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Steelers.com)
Photo gallery 2 (Steelers.com)
Photo gallery 1 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 2 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 2 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Bills Beat the Steelers, Surging as a Rival Sinks
‘As the N.F.L. has evolved, the best teams are those with dynamic passing offenses and defenses that can slow down the aerial game just enough. Sitting on Ben Roethlisberger’s short throws and blitzing him off the edge, the Bills hounded him into his worst game of the season.’
Opinion: Every rising star QB, like the Bills’ Josh Allen, needs somebody like Stefon Diggs
‘The Bills will need to continue winning games like this, while also seizing the opportunity presented with New England’s post-Tom Brady transition, before power is truly shifted. Yet with a third playoff berth on the horizon in coach Sean McDermott’s fourth season, they sure seem to be trending in that direction.’
Bills Improve To 10-3 With 26-15 Win Over Sloppy Steelers
‘The Bills won for the sixth time in seven outings, and inched closer to claiming their first AFC East title since 1995 and third playoff berth in four seasons. Buffalo can clinch both as early as Monday night if Baltimore loses to Cleveland.’
Taron Johnson’s pick-six puts Buffalo Bills ahead of Pittsburgh Steelers
‘On second-and-5 from the Steelers’ 47-yard line, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger attempted to hit wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on an out route. Johnson jumped the route, however, snatching the pass from Smith-Schuster and winning a footrace to the end zone with less than a minute remaining in the first half.’
Wacky turnover by Buffalo Bills’ Dawson Knox results in Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown drive
‘But watch the replays as many times as you like: It’s still not totally clear what happened with nine minutes and 36 seconds left in the second quarter. Fumble? Interception?’
Steelers at Bills score: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs cruise past Pittsburgh in win with big playoff implications
‘Oh, and Buffalo’s own defense? Killer when it needed to be. Levi Wallace and Taron Johnson both had big plays on the ball, Tre’Davious White was predictably feisty on the outside, and the line actually kept Ben Roethlisberger under pressure for most of the night. A total team victory here.’
Bills leading the charge for defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to merit strong head coaching consideration
‘Frazier’s wealth of experience would enable him to put together a quality staff, and the support from the Pegulas could not be more effusive, league sources said. They have made it a priority to make other owners aware of Frazier’s pivotal role in their organization and their belief that he would be a highly successful head coach if given the opportunity again. Frazier took over the Vikings at a time when the roster was slipping and they were in the aftermath of Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre moving on. The Bills are in first place in the AFC East and well-positioned to go back to the playoffs, which should also shine a light on Frazier’s accomplishments.’
Steelers vs. Bills score, results: Buffalo rallies around turnovers, Josh Allen 2nd-half surge
‘Allen finished the game completing 24 of 43 passes (55.8 percent) for 238 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. It definitely was not his best outing, but considering the way he started (10-of-23 passing, 76 yards, INT in the first half), it was OK, thanks to an impressive finish (14 of 20, 162 yards, two touchdowns in the second half).’
Bills’ offense surges in second half to down Steelers
‘The Bills also defeated Pittsburgh on NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the second time in as many seasons, having beaten the Steelers 17-10 at Heinz Field in 2019. With Sunday’s victory over Pittsburgh and the Week 13 Monday Night win over San Francisco, the Bills have won two games on national prime time television in the span of a week.’
Opinion: Three observations: Diggs, defense shine in Bills’ win over Pittsburgh
‘When Diggs started making catches and moving the chains, the rest of the offense followed. Allen regained confidence seeing his top receiver go to work, going 14-for-20 in the second half after completing only 10 of 23 passes for 76 in the first.’
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s pregame dance on Bills logo had Buffalo defense ‘turnt up’
‘“I ain’t going to lie, seeing them dancing on our logo pregame and seeing all that, that turns you up a little bit,” Bills safety Jordan Poyer said, via Syracuse.com. “It kind of gives you a little second itch to come out and play with some extra fire. We were hyped up on the sideline, we had a big win. And we were just having fun.”’
Opinion: Arrow Up/Arrow Down: Steelers at Bills
‘It wasn’t a good start for the Bills offense, going three-and-out on their first six drives, and only have 4, 5, and 5 plays on the other three. Those first six drives ended punt, interception, punt, punt, fumble, punt. They had only 102 total yards at halftime, and were 0-for-4 on third downs. The offense scored only three points in the first half. The Steelers pass rush was clearly an issue for them and caused of lot of their problems.’