Tag: NFL

Steelers offense comes to life in big win over Bengals

Russell Wilson and Najee Harris led the way for the Steelers offense in Sunday’s win.

It’s been nearly six years since we saw the type of offensive outburst we saw on Saturday. On a weekend when the defense didn’t have the answers for the Cincinnati Bengals, the offense carried the load, leading Pittsburgh to a 44-38 win in an AFC North shootout.

You could tell the Steelers offense took the extra time off to work on some problems. Quarterback Russell Wilson did a much better job getting the football out of his hands quicker, leading to fewer hits for him and resulting in 414 passing yards. The last time the Steelers topped 400 passing yards an a game was all the sway back in 2018.

The Steelers defense bent but never broke and took advantage of three turnovers and four sacks of Joe Burrow to keep the damage to a minimum. Of the 38 points Cincinnati scored, one touchdown didn’t fall on the defense as it was a pick-six.

No time to sit back and enjoy this one as the Steelers now have to come back home for a rematch against the Browns, who beat them just two weeks ago.

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Seahawks escape from New York with a 26-21 win over the Jets

Seahawks escape from New York with a 26-21 win over the Jets

The Seattle Seahawks just escaped from New York in one of the most bizarre, sloppy, and confusing games we’ve seen in quite some time. But as I’ve always said, style points don’t matter in the NFL… only wins do.

The Seahawks are now 7-0 when playing at MetLife Stadium, which has become a home away from home.

It certainly was not easy for Seattle to get this win. The Jets may have been only a three-win team, but they put up a fight, especially in the first half. Thanks to special teams miscues by the Hawks, New York capitalized for 21 points. But the Seahawks defense clamped down after intermission and suffocated the life out of the Jets. New York only had four possessions, and they went as follows:

  • Punt
  • Fumble
  • Punt
  • Turnover on downs

Part of the limited opportunities for the Jets in the second half was the fact the Seahawks controlled the clock to close out the game. They had drives of 12, 10 and 9 plays. Their first drive of the second half ended in frustrating disaster. After eight tries at the goal line, Geno Smith’s sack on 4th and goal turned the ball over on downs and Seattle came away with nothing. Thankfully, the Hawks forced a fumble which was recovered by rookie Tyrice Knight.

Smith then marched the team 39 yards to connect with another successful Jason Myers field goal to cut the lead 21-19.

However, the true miracles took place on the next possession. Trailing by two points, it was happy hour at the Last Chance Saloon for Seattle. It likely should have been lights out for the Seahawks, but the Jets continued to give Seattle more and more opportunities. New York was flagged four times on the Seahawks’ game winning drive – three of which were on 4th downs where Gang Green actually had Seattle stopped. The Jets were flagged 12 total times – 10 of which were in the second half alone.

The Hawks took advantage of those continued opportunities and capped it off with a go-ahead touchdown run by Zach Charbonnet. After Aaron Rodgers’ pass on 4th-and-15 fell incomplete, Seattle officially completed the comeback and Geno Smith earned his 11th game-winning drive since the start of 2022.

Aaron Rodgers was held in check, completing 21-of-39 passes for only 185 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Meanwhile his counterpart on the other sideline, Geno Smith, was his usual efficient self, completing 64% of his passes for 206 yards and a touchdown.

The Seahawks are now 7-5 and extended their lead in the NFC West thanks to Arizona losing to Minnesota 23-22 earlier in the afternoon. Seattle will once again take on the Cardinals next week, but will do so in the Valley of the Sun.

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George Pickens had the most George Pickens-y day vs. the Bengals

Pickens made some great catches and made baffling decisions. A perfect George Pickens performance.

George Pickens is a man of intrigue.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ top wideout is the latest link in a long chain of receivers drafted in the second round or later to have an outsized impact on the team’s offense. He’s been the team’s leading wideout each of the last two seasons, making Diontae Johnson expendable in the process. He’s proven equally capable of catching Kenny Pickett’s back-shoulder sideline throws or Russell Wilson’s moon balls.

He’s also a dynamic weirdo who occasionally disappears from plays only to emerge trying to hurdle defenders who are standing straight up or trying to fight a Cleveland Browns cornerback in the middle of a last-ditch Hail Mary.

This has made Pickens the NFL’s random event generator. On Sunday, with a chance to effectively scuttle the Cincinnati Bengals’ postseason hopes, he fired up that engine and had one of the most George Pickens games of all time.

First, Pickens stumbled coming out of his break. This allowed Cam Taylor-Britt to dispatch him to the turf with minimal effort before taking an interception back the other way for six points.

Pickens made up for his mistake one drive later by taking a screen pass and showing off his run-after-catch ability for a 17-yard touchdown.

On the next drive, Pickens showcased his RAC again with a slow-motion spin move to pick up an extra five yards and move the Steelers into Bengals territory. Then, he marched them right back with a 15-yard taunting penalty.

That wound up not mattering as Wilson led Pittsburgh on a 70-yard touchdown drive anyway. Halftime came and went and Pickens continued his wildly characteristic game.

The good news? He caught a Wilson deep shot for a 36-yard gain to set Pittsburgh up in scoring position. The bad news? He made a finger-gun gesture, which is an automatic no-no for the officials, who tagged him for his second 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of the game.

Simulating a firearm didn’t meet the level of severity needed for a two-flag ejection, but it balanced the team’s top wideout on a razor’s edge the rest of the game. Wilson targeted Pickens a single time after his second flag, leading to an incompletion on a play that would have been called back for holding. That’s due in large part to the Steelers’ late lead and a run game that had ground down the Bengals all game.

In all, Pickens scored one touchdown for Pittsburgh and allowed a touchdown against in the first quarter. He had 74 receiving yards but gave 30 back via penalty. He taunted Cincinnati’s players and fans and proved himself worthy of all the trouble in a 44-38 victory.

It was a very George Pickens-y day.

Chargers pull out gritty win over Falcons: Instant analysis of Week 13 victory

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ gritty win over the Falcons behind a four-interception performance.

The Chargers defeated the Falcons on Sunday, improving to 8-4.

Here’s our recap of the Week 13 win.

It was over when…

Derwin James intercepted Kirk Cousins with 47 seconds remaining.

Notable number

Per AP Sports’ Joe Reedy, Ladd McConkey’s 105 yards are the most receiving yards by a Chargers rookie in the first half since 1991.

3 stars of the game

  1. WR Ladd McConkey: McConkey was the only productive player in the passing game. He finished the game with a season-high nine receptions for 117 yards.
  2. CB Tarheeb Still: The rookie out of Maryland was a ball magnet, finishing with two interceptions, including one he took back to the house for a touchdown.
  3. S Marcus Maye: This could’ve gone to Derwin James, who closed the game with a pick. But Maye, who was signed just this past week after being released by the Dolphins, had one in the end zone on the drive right before.

Quick hits

  • The Chargers’ offense was underwhelming. They failed to find the end zone the entire game, even on their two trips to the red zone.
  • Their only offensive points came from Cameron Dicker’s three made field goals.
  • The Chargers were 3-of-14 on third down. They had 187 yards of total offense.
  • The second-half offensive struggles continued. They only picked up two first downs on four drives.
  • The Falcons entered this game with one of the worst pressure rates, only having ten sacks. Atlanta flipped the switch, as they lived in the Chargers’ backfield. Justin Herbert was sacked five times.
  • Gus Edwards and Kimani Vidal combined for ten rushes, finishing with 5.3 and 5.0 yards per carry, respectively.
  • Aside from McConkey, the pass-catching group was lackluster. Quentin Johnston was the next productive receiver, with only 14 yards on two catches. Six pass catchers had just one catch.
  • The defense was why the Chargers came out of this game victorious. Jesse Minter’s unit combined for four interceptions, headlined by Still, who had two, one he returned for a score.
  • The run defense held its own, limiting a good backfield of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier to 3.5 yards per carry.

What’s next?

The Chargers are on the road again to face the Chiefs next Sunday night, Dec. 8, at 5:20 pm PT.

Mike Tomlin has a ‘Joey Porter Jr.’ sized penalty problem

Joey Porter Jr.’s penalties overshadow his coverage skills in the Steelers’ Week 13 victory.

Joey Porter Jr. has delivered some great coverage performances thus far in 2024, but his issues with penalties continue to haunt the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the first three quarters of Week 13’s matchup between the Steelers and Bengals, Porter committed several completely unnecessary penalties that put Cincinnati in prime scoring position.

With less than nine minutes to go in the fourth-quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, Porter added two more penalty-worthy plays to what has been a lackluster day from the young Steelers defender.

Porter not only held Higgins on the play but committed his second pass interference penalty in the end zone, practically gift-wrapping the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals offense a touchdown.

While Porter’s first pass interference in the end zone was technically uncatchable, it was still a poor decision by the Steelers CB.

Porter continues to rack up additional penalties, with his most recent being an illegal hands to the face with less than three minutes remaining in Week 13.

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Vikings 23, Cardinals 22: Late mistakes spoil otherwise good defensive game

Kyler Murray threw two interceptions and the team was penalized 10 times, wasting a mostly great defensive performance.

The Arizona Cardinals played a great defensive game against the Minnesota Vikings but lost their second consecutive game, falling 23-22 to the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 13.

After leading for almost the entire game, the Vikings scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:13 to go and on Arizona’s final drive, Kyler Murray threw an interception on fourth down.

The Cardinals dropped to 6-6 and the Vikings improved to 10-2.

Arizona’s 10 penalties hampered the offense all game.

Here is how it went down.

Cardinals 3, Vikings 0

The Cardinals took an early lead on their first drive. James Conner rushed for 16 yards and Trey Benson had one for 10. Kyler Murray completed all five of his passes to four players, but Conner’s third-down reception in the red zone was not enough for a first down and Chand Ryland kicked a 32-yard field goal to get them on the board.

Cardinals 3, Vikings 3

The Vikings also had good offensive success, but L.J. Collier’s third-down sack of Sam Darnold after the Vikings got in the red zone forced a 44-yard field goal.

VIKINGS FUMBLE!

Aaron Jones caught a five-yard pass and Sean Murphy-Bunting punched the ball out for the second time, forcing a fumble that Roy Lopez recovered at the Minnesota 19.

Missed FG

The Cardinals came up empty after the takeaway. It was a bad series. They were penalized twice, Greg Dortch had a catch for negative yards and then Ryland missed a 45-yard field goal wide right, the second straight game he has missed a kick.

Cardinals 6, Vikings 3

Ryland made a 31-yarder after the Cardinals stalled in the red zone again. They got the passing game going a little as Michael Wilson had a 22-yard grab and then snagged a deflected throw for 13. But they were penalized three times on the drive.

Cardinals 6, Vikings 6

The Vikings hit a 55-yard kick with 1:12 left in the first half. Mack Wilson sacked Sam Darnold on third down to force the kick. Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson for a 23-yard play, the biggest play of the game for the Vikings.

Cardinals 9, Vikings 6

Ryland hit a 24-yarder as the first half expired to give them the lead. The Cardinals went 64 yards on 12 plays. McBride had three catches and Murray had a couple of scrambles.

Missed FG!

Parker Romo missed wide left on the first possession of the second half after a pass interference penalty on Murphy-Bunting got the Vikings in Arizona territory. The Cardinals took over at their 33 following the miss from 43 yards.

Cardinals 12, Vikings 6

Ryland made a 40-yard kick to extend the lead to six points after a 10-play, 45-yard drive.

Mack Wilson’s 2nd sack leads to 3-and-out

After the field goal, the Cardinals forced a three-and-out, made by Wilson’s second-down sack, his second of the game and the team’s fourth of the afternoon.

Murray to Marv TD! Cardinals 19, Vikings 6

After Fabian Moreau was penalized for pass interference, putting the ball in the red zone, Murray connected with Harrison for a 15-yard touchdown, the first touchdown of the game for either team.

Cardinals 19, Vikings 13

The Vikings woke up offensively, going 70 yards in six plays. Darnold found Johnny Mundt for a four-yard touchdown.

Murray picked off!

Murray was under pressure and threw a deep pass that was picked off by former Cardinals cornerback Byron Murphy. The Vikings took over at their own 32.

Cardinals 19, Vikings 16

After the interception, Justin Jefferson had a big catch and the Vikings got into the red zone, but Darnold threw three consecutive incompletions and they tacked on three points with a 31-yard kick with 11:11 left in the game.

Cardinals 22, Vikings 16

The Cardinals got down to the five, but Tip Reiman was flagged for a false start and Murray was called for intentional grounding. He threw to McBride to get to the four on third down, but they elected to kick a 23-yard field goal to extend the lead to six rather than go for the touchdown. There was 3:22 left in the game.

Vikings 23, Cardinals 22

The Cardinals fall behind for the first time as Aaron Jones scored on a five-yard run. They would get the ball back with 1:13 left in the game.

Kyler picked off on 4th-down

Shaq Griffin picked off Murray’s fourth-down throw to Harrison, sealing the Minnesota win.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Report: Calvin Austin III ruled OUT in Week 13 against Bengals

WR Calvin Austin III has been ruled out of the Steelers Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals after multiple big hits.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ injury woes continue to mount. WR Calvin Austin III, who has been instrumental in the Black and Gold’s deep passing attack, has been ruled out of Week 13’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals with a head injury.

To kick off the Steelers’ first drive of the game, the speedy wideout took a huge hit from Cincinnati Bengals LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, resulting in a pass interference penalty. Austin, who is listed at 5’9″ and under 170 lbs, is not a big receiver by any means and needed time on the sideline to recover from the hit.

However, Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt once again delivered a hard hit on Austin following a routine catch, resulting in the Steelers receiver’s injury.

While Austin’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the wideout, who was in the midst of back-to-back impressive performances, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense continued to steamroll over the Cincinnati Bengals defense, with Russell Wilson carving up the opposing secondary in Week 13.

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Chargers highlight: Tarheeb Still’s second interception gives Los Angeles the lead

Tarheeb Still is on a tear.

Tarheeb Still is on a tear.

After intercepting Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in the second quarter to give the Chargers some much-needed momentum, Still mostly watched Atlanta throw it to the other side of the field or run the ball.

That was a good strategy for the Falcons, who have continued to move the ball effectively against Jesse Minter’s defense. Atlanta put together another long drive late in the third quarter, driving with a 10-9 lead while converting a fourth down to take the ball over midfield.

The Chargers, meanwhile, had asked Ladd McConkey to be the entire offense. A normally dormant Falcons pass rush has sacked Justin Herbert four times, making things hard for LA all day.

Los Angeles needed a spark.

Still provided it when the Falcons went for a second fourth down of the drive, dropping back to pass on 4th-and-5 from the Chargers’ 40-yard line. Still and safety Marcus Maye confused Cousins on the coverage, giving the rookie a prime opportunity to jump a curl route and nearly walk into the end zone from 61 yards away.

The Chargers went for two after that. Justin Herbert fired a strike over the middle to Joshua Palmer, making it 17-10 Chargers with 1:39 left in the third quarter.

Mike Tomlin almost makes same mistake as recently fired Matt Eberflus

Mike Tomlin’s questionable timeout management in Week 13 eerily mirrored the mistake that cost Matt Eberflus his job in Chicago.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers were on a seemingly never-ending emotional rollercoaster in the first half of the team’s Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. After an awful missed call by the officials gifted Cincinnati a pick-six, fans were able to witness an impressive Steelers’ offensive resurgence, which put Pittsburgh up 27-21 at halftime.

However, a similar mistake that cost HC Matt Eberflus his job in Chicago almost repeated itself with poor time management to end the first half by none other than HC Mike Tomlin.

QB Russell Wilson led an impressive drive with less than two minutes in the first half, but poor usage of timeouts not only prevented the offense from scoring a TD, Tomlin’s last-second timeout call had fans thinking they’d see shades of Eberflus.

Some could argue that Tomlin’s poor time management skills cost the Pittsburgh Steelers their Week 12 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. However, the Black and Gold were fortunate to walk away with a Chris Boswell field goal to end the first half in Week 13.

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