A Shawn Suisham field goal on the final play of the game gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a 19-16 win over the Buffalo Bills at Heinz Field on Saturday night.
There were some good things seen for Buffalo’s first team offense, but like for the rest of the preseason, issues finishing in scoring position showed themselves again.
E.J. Manuel drove the offense 44 yards on 11 plays to set up Dan Carpenter for a 37 yard field goal on the game’s opening possession. However, rookie receiver Sammy Watkins suffered a rib injury after getting hit in the back late on a pass play and did not return.
Despite a brief scare, #Bills WR Sammy Watkins and his ribs are fine. Nothing serious, I'm told.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2014
Bruised ribs for Sammy, per Doug Marrone. Wouldn't surprise us if he's held out of the rest of preseason as a result.
— Buffalo Rumblings (@BuffRumblings) August 17, 2014
The Steelers took only two plays to take the lead, as Ben Roethlisberger found receiver Antonio Brown on a quick slant. After defensive backs Corey Graham and Duke Williams ran into each other, Brown sped past the Bills defense for a 76 yard touchdown to make it 6-3 with just under nine minutes remaining in the opening stanza.
On the Bills’ second possession, Manuel went down the middle for tight end Scott Chandler, but the throw was behind and intercepted by rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier, who took the ball down to the Buffalo 37. Buffalo’s third-down defense that allowed 8 of 17 to be converted last season by Pittsburgh had issues getting off the field on the Steelers’ second possession.
On a third and four, Mario Williams jumped offside. Later, running back LeVeon Bell converted a third down and 2 with a run down to the Bills’ 16 yard line. On third and 11, Roethlisberger threw a pinpoint pass to second-year wideout Markus Wheaton in the back of the endzone, beating Stephon Gilmore to give Pittsburgh a 13-3 win after a missed extra point with 2:19 left in the first quarter.
On the Bills third possession, an intentional grounding penalty by Manuel appeared to take the offense out of field goal position. But on third and 27, Manuel hit Chandler on a quick out, and the tight end shook away from a defender and gained 25 yards, setting up Carpenter for a long 54 yard field goal attempt that he nailed, making it 13-6 less than two minutes into the second quarter.
After stopping Pittsburgh’s offense, Manuel got Buffalo down to the Steelers’ 25 yard line. But a batted ball at the line of scrimmage on fourth and 1 ended the drive.
Landry Jones took over for Roethlisber on the next possession and was intercepted on his first throw by cornerback Nickell Robey at the Steelers’ 42 yard line. Manuel converted a pair of third downs to get a first down at the six yard line, but was unable to get the ball in the endzone, as a fourth down attempt from the three yard line to Chandler was tipped down by safety Robert Golden.
Overall, the first-team offense had 46 plays for 212 yards and 12 first downs, yet only yielded six points. In the start of the second half, the troubles appeared to continue, as Thaddeus Lewis threw a pass to fullback Adam Rodriguez, who took it to the 33 yard line of Pittsburgh, but safety Shamarko Thomas dislodged the ball from him and recovered it there.
Jones had a first down in the Bills redzone at the 19 yard line, but defensive tackle Stefan Charles had a strip sack, and fellow interior lineman Landon Cohen recovered the ball and ran 59 yards before being taken down at the Steelers’ 16 yard line. Three plays later, running back Anthony Dixon took it in from one yard out to tie the game.
Lewis’ completion to Rodriguez was his only one, as he finished 1 of 6 for 18 yards, and was intercepted on his final possession by Golden on an errant pass. Jeff Tuel played the final snap of the third quarter and entirety of the fourth.
Tuel took the Bills into field goal range, but Carpenter missed a 49 yarder wide right, keeping the game tied early in the final quarter. Bruce Gradkowski quarterbacked the Steelers 31 yards to the Bills’ 30, with Shawn Suisham kicking a 48 yarder through the uprights to make it 16-13 Pittsburgh with 9:26 remaining.
Following a pair of three-and-outs and with less than six minutes remaining, Tuel converted an important 3rd down and 5 with his legs, avoiding early pressure and running for 17 yards. Tuel completed a pair of passes for first downs to receiver Tori Gurley, including a scramble to his left and throw to Gurley along the sideline, who leaped for it despite a Steelers defensive back closing in to try and intercept the ball.
Buffalo’s offense stalled at the Pittsburgh’s 36, but Carpenter hit a 53 yarder on the first play after the two minute warning to tie the game at 16. With the Steelers driving, Gradkowski went for rookie receiver Martavis Bryant against cornerback Sam Miller.
The two players battled for physical position, with Miller tipping the ball up in the air for rookie safety Deon Broomfield to pick it off. Tuel took position, but was strip-sacked on the third play of the possession by linebacker Vic So’oto, and rookie linebacker Howard Jones took it to the one yard line.
On the final play of regulation, Suisham kicked a 19 yard field goal to win it. The Bills return to Ralph Wilson Stadium next Saturday to play the Detroit Lions in what will likely serve as their dress rehearsal game, while the Steelers play at Philadelphia on Thursday.
With four possessions in scoring position for the Bills’ first-team offense only resulting in six points, the red zone offense issues continued. Manuel was upfront about what needs to be done.
“We’re just gonna have to go back to the drawing board,” said Manuel.
For what its worth, Robert Woods, who caught 3 passes for 49 yards, felt Manuel showed some good things on the field tonight.
“He’s maturing as a QB,” said Woods. “He’s leading and directing us. I want him to know … he can trust me with the ball”.
Woods also expressed frustration with the redzone scoring problems, as the first-team offense has yet to score a touchdown.
.@RobertWoods: "Our job is to get 6, not 3. Six is better than 3" #SimpleMath
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) August 17, 2014
Doug Marrone had a pair of interesting things to say after the game. The first was when he was asked if he was satisfied from the play of the back-up quarterback contenders (Tuel and Lewis), to which he said “no”.
He then explained why defensive tackle Alan Branch, who signed a three-year extension this offseason after a standout season, didn’t play until the fourth quarter.
Marrone on Alan Branch: "…he's working for a spot (on the roster)"
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) August 17, 2014
Manuel believes that Sammy Watkins “will be fine”.
