Although limited to very few snaps in the preseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive stars all shined Monday night. The balanced offense was executed to near perfection. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns and DeAngelo Williams ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns. The offense relied on the aerial attack early to take the lead, which set up the ground game late to expand and hold it.
Balanced Attack Helps Pittsburgh Steelers to Week One Win
After a slow start that included an interception and a fumble that Roethlisberger recovered himself, the offensive show began. The veteran quarterback lead his offense down the field for an 87-yard touchdown drive. The drive was capped off by a gutsy fourth-and-one shot at the end zone that resulted in an Antonio Brown touchdown. Brown worked against corner Bashaud Breeland opposite of Josh Norman for most of the night, dominating the Redskins corner. Brown finished with 126 yards and two touchdowns, and a very interesting touchdown celebration that will likey circle the internet going forward this week.
Another key component to the passing game was Eli Rogers. The second year receiver out of Louisville showed perseverance after an early miscue resulted in an interception. Rogers finished with 59 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, and seemed to work well with the offense and show potential as yet another weapon for the Steelers offense moving forward.
In the second half, DeAngelo Williams and the running game took over. Williams shredded the Washington defense in the second half. The running back’s first touchdown extended the Steelers lead, before he finished off the night by running through two Redskins defenders to his second touchdown, icing the game.
Solid Defensive Contributions
On the other side of the ball, the defense played exceptionally well compared to the expectations heading into the year. Multiple times in the first half, the Redskins offense worked the ball into Steelers territory. However the defense buckled down and gave up just six points going into halftime. Most noticeable was the exceptional play from linebacker Ryan Shazier. The linebacker was all over the field Monday night and made a big play, intercepting Kirk Cousins. However, he would leave the game in the fourth quarter due to a right knee injury. Shazier said after the game that his knee was fine and will have tests done Tuesday.
All in all, the season could not have gotten off to a better start for the Steelers. This team needs no motivation heading into next week’s clash with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Week Two match up is more than just a game to the players, coaches, and the city of Pittsburgh.
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