Steelers show why they're Patriots' biggest threat in AFC
Three reasons why you don’t want to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs:
Antonio Brown. Ben Roethlisberger. Le’Veon Bell.
The Baltimore Ravens' postseason hopes ended Sunday night at Heinz Field, where they contained Pittsburgh’s Big Three long enough to manage a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter … but not long enough.
Brown’s 4-yard, catch-and-stretch touchdown with nine seconds left – he quickly reached out to break the plane of the end zone while collared by Eric Weddle inches shy of the goal line – provided the finishing touch to the 31-27 thriller that settled the latest chapter of one of the NFL’s best rivalries.
That’s what the money players will do for you in crunch time: Prove why they are the money players.
Before Brown’s exploits, Bell, who finished with 122 rushing yards, slashed and weaved through the Ravens defense to inflate one drive after another. He scored the other two TDs in Pittsburgh’s 21-point fourth quarter, including a determined 7-yard reception off a Roethlisberger scramble that illustrated his knack for finding daylight in traffic.
Roethlisberger, who threw two picks in the third quarter, elevated his game when it mattered the most. Of course, that included repeated cases where he improvised to make something happen when the plays broke down. That’s always been part of his deal. But it also meant staying composed and playing smart as Pittsburgh produced scoring drives of 75, 90 and 75 yards.
The three of them together, that’s why the newly minted AFC North champs will be so dangerous in January. With their Big Three intact (that’s Big Ben plus two), complemented by an offensive line that ranks as one of the best in the league, the Steelers seemingly will pose the biggest threat to the New England Patriots in the upcoming AFC playoffs.
Sure, the Kansas City Chiefs are rolling. The new dimension provided by explosive rookie Tyreek Hill will be a handful. And the Chiefs can bring a hellacious rush with their defense.
Yet the Steelers, winners of six in a row, have a certain mojo of their own, led by their Big Three. Last winter, the Steelers nearly won in the divisional playoffs at Denver without Bell and Brown, who were sidelined by injuries.
Now Pittsburgh is poised to take another crack at a postseason run while carrying the full deck on an offense that can help overcome the deficiencies of the defense.
When the Ravens took the lead again at 24-20 on fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s 10-yard run, one thing seemed evident: With 1:18 on the clock, they left too much time for Roethlisberger and Co.
The Steelers had them right where they wanted them – with a chance to put a classic game in the hands of their prolific offense. School was out.
It was money time.
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.
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