If there has been one Achilles heel of the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) this season, it has been their opponents from the AFC West. If not for the poor play of Chiefs backup QB Brady Quinn, the Steelers could have very well been 0-4 against that division. Luckily, Lawrence Timmons was able to pick Quinn off in Overtime to secure a big win. The Steelers were not so lucky against Philip Rivers and the struggling Chargers. San Diego (5-8) made the trip from the West Coast into an environment in which they were 0-13 lifetime; Rivers was 0-3 in these regular season matchups. After a major 34-24 upset at home, the Steelers Playoff hopes took a turn for the worst it seemed—enter Dallas and Washington.
Tony Romo and the duo of RGIII and Kirk Cousins were able to lead their teams to late upsets over the Bengals and Ravens respectively. Dallas led a late drive which ended in a 40-yard field goal as time expired. The Redskins, after watching their rookie star take a brutal hit to his knee, were able to score and convert their 2-point conversion under the direction of another rookie QB, fourth round pick Kirk Cousins out of Michigan State. Just like their NFC East rival, Washington secured a momentous victory in an OT matchup of their own.
The Chargers were clearly the better team in this matchup. Despite facing the #1 ranked defense in the NFL, the Chargers were able to run and pass the ball effectively all afternoon. In a role reversal of sorts, Philip Rivers was able to have a high conversion rate on third-down; which has typically been Roethlisberger’s M.O. this year. Ryan Mathews, who has been inconsistent ever since entering the league, ran the ball efficiently and powerfully right into the teeth of a brutal Steelers defense and was often able to fight for extra yardage. Danario Alexander, who has bounced around the league himself, finished the day with over 75 yards receiving and 2 TDs. Certainly the injury to Ike Taylor had an effect on the ability of Rivers to manipulate a group of inexperienced rookie defensive backs in this one. But overall, the Steelers were unable to emotionally compete with a Chargers squad after being worn-down in a slug fest with the rival Ravens.
Pittsburgh, who lost in Roethlisberger’s return, actually played a decent game. There were concerns about Big Ben’s return from a collarbone/rib injury, but those doubts were quickly put to rest when fans witnessed Roethlisberger scrambling around, breaking tackles, and slinging the ball downfield. Had the Steelers been the beneficiaries of a pass interference call or two, which were clearly blatant by the Chargers cornerbacks, this ballgame might have ended differently. Often times, the Steelers began drives backed up in their own end zone due to their inability to catch the ball or draw penalties.
The biggest concern for the Steelers was their inability to run the ball. Rashard Mendenhall is not even playing these days, which is concerning given the lack of production from both Dwyer and Redman. The Steelers will need to quickly shore up these issues if they are to make a postseason run, to avoid becoming a one-dimensional team that can be schemed for defensively. Health has been a factor, with lineman essentially becoming replaceable on a weekly basis. It is very rare that a team has been this decimated by injuries to key players like the Steelers have this season.
The biggest benefactors after a week full of upsets are both the Steelers and the Colts. The Colts, who beat the Titans on Sunday, got an even firmer grip on securing a Wild Card spot by continued stellar play from rookie signal caller Andrew Luck. Of course, the Steelers, who currently hold the sixth and final Wild Card slot, also benefit from a pair of losses by their AFC North opponents. It seems as if the Steelers re-match in Week 16 with the Bengals will determine the final Wild Card spot, as if that matchup needed another reason to become more vicious. Look for this game to be one of the most aggressive and physical contests of the entire NFL season between already bitter rivals.
For the AFC North, division-leading Baltimore has a matchup with the AFC West leading Broncos, Pittsburgh faces a surging Cowboys squad on the road, and the Bengals go up against a weaker Eagles team on Thursday Night Football. This seems to be the week, if any, that Cincinnati makes a push of their own to be in contention come January. For the Steelers and Ravens, they know how to win in the month of December and should have intriguing games of their own to watch.
