Four NFL Week 16 game results had to go in Pittsburgh’s favor for the Steelers (7-8) to remain in playoff contention heading into the final week of the regular season. All four, in somewhat remarkable fashion, happened.
With a thrilling 38-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers (7-7-1) at historic and chilly Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon, Pittsburgh used (mostly) great special teams play, a defensive touchdown, a few key defensive stops, and another heap of offense to stay alive in the AFC Wild Card hunt. Losses by Miami and Baltimore, as well as the victory by the New York Jets, kept the Steelers relevant with this victory.
However, the San Diego Chargers won at home against Oakland, so they remain ahead in the standings. Next week, Pittsburgh will need to defeat Cleveland, and hope for losses by Baltimore, Miami and San Diego, in order to grab an improbable sixth seed in the playoffs.
Green Bay jumped ahead on their home turf when backup QB Matt Flynn, starting for the injured Aaron Rodgers, connected with Jarrett Boykin for a five-yard score in the first quarter. Pittsburgh responded with a score by Emmanuel Sanders, from Ben Roethlisberger.
Rookie RB Eddie Lacy scored an acrobatic and powerful touchdown to make it 14-7 Green Bay late in the first half and the Steelers engineered a last-second scoring drive that ended in a Shaun Suisham field goal, to go to halftime down just 14-10.
On the opening drive of the second half, Roethlisberger ran for his first touchdown since 2010 on a 13-yard scamper, giving Pittsburgh a lead for the first time. The drive was made possible by a fake punt pass executed by punter Mat McBriar, who hit David Paulsen 30 yards downfield to extend the drive. The Packers then punted on the next drive, pinning Pittsburgh at their own one-yard line, where Steelers rookie RB Le’Veon Bell fumbled on the first play of the drive. However, the defense held and then blocked a Mason Crosby chip-shot field goal. Ryan Clark recovered the ball, had his knee down, and tried a backwards lateral, which Ziggy Hood then illegally batted forward. Since Clark was down, however, the play should have been blown dead and the penalty voided. The referees, after much discussion and arguing by Mike Tomlin, ruled that the play was not challengeable, missing the fact that Clark was down. Due to the penalty being enforced, Green Bay remained in possession with a first down, and scored on the next play.
Pittsburgh responded though, with Roethlisberger completing a touchdown pass to Matt Spaeth on a quick six-play, 68-yard drive. Just 18 seconds later, Cortez Allen intercepted a Flynn pass and returned it for a touchdown, giving Pittsburgh a 31-21 lead. After a Green Bay punt, Roethlisberger was then intercepted, giving Flynn and the Packers new life. They scored on the next two possessions, tying the game on a Crosby field goal and a John Kuhn 1-yard run.
Pittsburgh punted, and then Flynn fumbled on a scramble, forced by Troy Polamalu and recovered by Brett Keisel, giving the Steelers the ball at the 17-yard line. Bell scored five plays later to give Pittsburgh a 38-31 lead.
Controversial usage of timeouts and questionable clock management by Tomlin allowed the Packers time to try to tie the game, and a long return by Micah Hyde set Flynn up with great field position to try to tie or win the game. The Packers had the ball 2nd and goal at the 1 when a false start penalty on Don Barclay proved very costly. Ten seconds were, by rule, run off the clock and Flynn allowed seven more to tick off by the time the last play was run. His pass sailed incomplete and, in dramatic fashion, the Steelers held on for the victory.
Pittsburgh hosts Cleveland (4-11) at Heinz Field on Sunday at 1:00. Cincinnati clinched the AFC North division with their victory over Minnesota and the Ravens loss to New England.
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Steelers
