Antonio Brown was simply dominant.
With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter of a 35-35 game, the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver hauled in a Landry Jones pass and sprinted down the field before being tackled at the Oakland Raiders’ 15-yard line for a 57-yard reception. The catch resulted in Chris Boswell splitting the goal posts for a 19-yard game winning field goal.
Brown finished the day with 17 catches and 284 receiving yards, both franchise records.
The Steelers (5-4) won a decisive AFC battle with the Oakland Raiders (4-4) 38-35, but it came a potentially great cost.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had to be helped off the field after he was sacked with 7:46 left in the fourth quarter by Aldon Smith on third down, and was carted to the locker room after. Roethlisberger was 24/44 with 334 yards, two touchdowns and one interception prior to the injury. Landry Jones finished the game at quarterback for the Steelers.
The Raiders got on the board first on a 22-yard Michael Crabtree touchdown pass from Derek Carr. After a Boswell field goal cut the lead to 7-3, Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams scored on a 3-yard touchdown run, and caught a score on the ensuing two point conversation. Williams had a huge game while starting for Le’Veon Bell, rushing 27 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns, with a long run of 53 yards. He added two catches for 55 yards.
The Raiders took a lead after Amari Cooper caught a 15-yard touchdown pass, but the Steelers regain the lead on a Williams 3-yard touchdown rush, and Boswell added another field goal to give the Steelers a 21-14 halftime lead. Clive Walford’s 1-yard touchdown reception tied the game early in the third.
Martavis Bryant’s 14-yard catch and run touchdown put the Steelers on top, and then Roosevelt Nix forced Raiders return man Taiwan Jones to fumble, which was recovered by Anthony Chickillo. Roethlisberger lobbed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jesse James two plays later to pad the lead. It was James’s first career touchdown.
The Raiders, however, weren’t done. Jamize Olawale scored a 19-yard touchdown run, and Carr threw a late fourth quarter 38-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree. Ross Cockrell’s interception in the end zone with 4:29 left in the fourth quarter prevented another Oakland score.
Carr finished the game with 301 passing yards and four touchdowns.
The Cleveland Browns (2-7) come to town next week, with a bye week following. Roethlisberger’s status for that game is still unknown.
