With the exception of the second quarter, Pittsburgh’s defense looked almost invincible. In the first, third and fourth quarters, the Steelers didn’t allow any points, and shut down the best wide receiver in the game.
While playing in a game with Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, one is bound to be forgotten. But even with Johnson catching six passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns, no one could overlook Antonio Brown’s performance. Brown finished the contest with seven receptions for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers currently has Brown ranked as the top receiver in catches (74) and fifth in receiving yards (952). With his production, he definitely should be mentioned along with Megatron.
Lions head coach Jim Schwartz made a head-scratching choice of running a fake field goal on a fourth-and-five from the Steelers’ 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Had Detroit kicked the 27-yard field goal to go up by seven, then the circumstances of the game could have been totally different. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they not only stopped Lions punter Sam Martin from getting the first down, but they forced a fumble, causing a turnover that led to the Steelers scoring the touchdown that would put them up for good.
Dating back to last season, Pittsburgh’s defense lacked the ability to create turnovers. That unwanted attribute carried over into the 2013 season, with the Steelers only generating one takeaway in their first six games. Since then, Pittsburgh has eight forced turnovers in the past four contests.
With this much-needed win, and with losses by the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers are in a three-way tie for second place with their 4-6 record. Pittsburgh’s Week 12 opponent is Cleveland. The Ravens will face off against the New York Jets, while the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals will sit at home enjoying their bye week. If the Steelers leave Cleveland with a victory, and Baltimore falls to the Jets, then Pittsburgh will have sole possession of second place, and will be only two games behind the Bengals with five games left in the season.
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