A pair of sacks from T.J. Watt, in overtime, helped set up the Pittsburgh Steelers Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks. An overtime field goal made by kicker Chris Boswell lifted Pittsburgh over Seattle, 23-20. The Steelers now enter their Week 7 bye with a 3-3 record.
After leading for most of the game, the Steelers let a lead slip past them and the game went into OT. Their offense was pretty slow on the day, but they got it done when they absolutely had to. As for the defense, there were a lot of big chunks given up, but there were also some big plays. The leaders of the defense (T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward) stepped up into the spotlight and recorded crucial sacks in the victory. The Steelers Week 6 win against the Seahawks improved their record to 3-3, and they now sit tied for third in the AFC North.
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Overtime Heroics Drive Pittsburgh Steelers to Week 6 Win
Steelers Week 6 Game Summary
After three consecutive punts for each team to start the game, the Steelers finally cracked open the scoring early in the second quarter. An eight-play, 54-yard Pittsburgh drive was capped off by a five-yard reception touchdown for rookie running back Najee Harris. After another Seattle punt, the Steelers went on a fourteen-play, 84-yard drive that resulted in another touchdown. This time, the touchdown was a rushing score by tight end Eric Ebron. Ebron has had a slower start, but this touchdown certainly gave his role a boost in the offense. This score put the Steelers up 14-0 at halftime. Coming out of halftime, the Seahawks scored on an Alex Collins two-yard score, making the game 14-7. The Steelers would kick a field goal on their next drive, making it 17-7. But Seattle answered right back with a touchdown, thrown by Geno Smith, to tight end Will Dissly.
The Seahawks kicked a field goal on their next drive, which tied the score at 17. A pair of field goals (one for each team) pushed the game into overtime with the score tied at 20. T.J. Watt stopped the first Seahawks drive with a third-down sack, but the Steelers would punt shortly after getting the ball back. On the first play of the ensuing Seattle drive, T.J. Watt sacked Geno Smith, and also knocked the ball out. Devin Bush recovered the fumble and was downed at the sixteen-yard line. After two victory formation kneels, kicker Chris Boswell made a 37-yard field goal to give the Steelers a much-needed win over Seattle, with the final score being 23-20.
Controversy At The End
With just eighteen seconds left in the game, Seattle quarterback Geno Smith threw a pass to receiver D.K. Metcalf, who caught the ball and began running. Metcalf took several steps before James Pierre knocked the ball out of his hands. The Seahawks Freddie Swain recovered the fumble, and the ball was quickly set up at the new line of scrimmage. Smith spiked the ball, which then stopped the clock with just one second left. The kicker Jason Myers lined up for a 37-yard field goal, but the play was blown dead, and a review was initiated. The referees were verifying a completed pass to Metcalf, which stopped the game for a few minutes. It was obvious that Metcalf had the catch and then fumbled, so there was no difference in the ruling.
There was quite a bit of confusion for both sides, but eventually, the call was made and Myers went out for a field goal. His 43-yard field goal was good, and the game was sent to overtime. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin was seen upset with the ruling, but it was unlikely that such a small issue would have changed the outcome of the game. Viewers of the game even spotted inactive Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson on the field, helping players get up during a live ball. The rules specify that a non-player should not be on-field during a live ball, and the offense could be subject to a penalty. Once again, Wilson’s presence didn’t greatly impact the play or the eventual outcome, but it’s another example of a small call that the referees missed.
Iffy But Effective Offense
While the Steelers offense did get in done in their victory, their offense still had some weaknesses. They had to punt seven times, mainly because they couldn’t pick up substantial chunks of yardage. They struggled early trying to open up holes for Najee Harris, but eventually, they opened the running game up. The Steelers Week 6 rushing attack finished with 119 rushing yards on the day and a touchdown (scored by Eric Ebron). Harris had the majority of rushing yards, as he tallied 81 yards on 24 attempts. As for the passing game, it was simply ‘alright.’ Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finished with 229 yards and a touchdown, on a 29/40 passing day. An interesting stat to know was that Roethlisberger was very effective in the short pass game. In fact, he didn’t throw a single incompletion while making short passes on Sunday night.
There is nothing wrong with the Steelers frequently utilizing short passes; if Roethlisberger can get the football to his receivers quickly, the offense should succeed fairly well. With an improved offensive line, Big Ben should have the time to get off quick, accurate throws that could lead to big plays. Diontae Johnson led the Steelers receiving core with nine catches for 71 yards; Johnson also had a key chain-moving run of twenty-five yards. Running back Najee Harris also had six catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.
The tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Eric Ebron took a big step on Sunday. Freiermuth had seven catches for 58 yards, while Ebron had two catches for ten yards (one for a first down) and a one-yard rushing score. The improved use of the tight ends in the offensive scheme really bolstered the Steelers offense. This usage could become more common as the season develops.
“Rollercoaster” Defense
Comparing the Steelers defense on Sunday night to a rollercoaster would be an accurate representation. The defense excelled in the first half, holding the Seahawks offense to just 81 total yards. The run game was shut down in the first half, as there were only nineteen yards recorded between Alex Collins and Geno Smith. However, the Steelers’ defensive line completely fell apart after halftime; Collins had sixteen carries for 82 yards in the second half (over five yards per run), including multiple long runs. The secondary wasn’t necessarily bad, as they allowed only 209 passing yards. However, the Seahawks were able to break off several long plays.
Despite all of their shortcomings, Pittsburgh’s defensive players stepped up when they had to. Defensive end Cameron Heyward had a sack and two tackles-for-loss, while rookie cornerback Tre Norwood had a tackle-for-loss, a pass defended, and several key break-ups. Heyward and Norwood’s performances were great, but they were not close to how great linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith played.
Linebackers Step Up In Week 6 Victory
As mentioned above, the Pittsburgh linebackers Watt and Highsmith each had several key plays that shut down the Seattle offense. Highsmith had seven tackles (two for loss) and 1.5 sacks on the night. Watt also had seven tackles (three for loss) and two heroic overtime sacks. Watt’s first sack came on Seattle’s first overtime drive. Watt sacked Geno Smith and forced the Seahawks to punt it away. On the next Seattle drive, Watt once again sacked a scrambling Smith and forced a fumble. It was recovered by Devin Bush, and the Steelers then won the game on the following drive. The stellar plays from Highsmith and Watt, along with the consistency from Heyward and Norwood, helped the Steelers eke out a defensive victory over the Seahawks.
Special Teams Group Impresses
The Steelers Week 6 group that didn’t falter in Sunday night’s win was the special teams. The combination of kicker Chris Boswell, punter Pressley Harvin, and returner Ray-Ray McCloud proved to be important. Boswell was 3/3 on field goals, including a 52-yarder and a 37-yarder that was the ‘walk-off’ score. He also was 2/2 on extra points and extended his streak to twelve straight extra points made this season. Boswell has had an impressive start to the season, making 11/12 field goals this year. Pittsburgh’s punter Pressley Harvin had seven punts for 335 total yards (~48-yard average). Harvin’s longest punt of the day was a 58-yard booming punt, and he also had four of his seven punts downed inside the 20.
Finally, Pittsburgh’s kick and punt returner Ray-Ray McCloud impressed as well, with an average of 24.3 yards per return and a long return of 37 yards. McCloud has silently had a good year, and his role will continue to increase with the absence of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
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