Wow. No, not because the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-12. That was what everyone expected to happen. Wow because Rex Ryan rallied his troops and once again managed to keep the New York Jets out of the playoffs. It most definitely was not a pretty victory for the Steelers, but they got it done and so did the Bills.
Huge Day for Brown
Antonio Browns had a huge game. Is anyone surprised? At halftime, Brown had ten catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. It seemed like the record for receptions in a season was a possibility for Brown, who needed eleven more catches to break Marvin Harrison's mark. He also only needed 52 yards in the second half to move into second place all time for yards in a season. Unfortunately, the team MVP finished with "only" thirteen catches and 187 yards. He now sits tied with Julio Jones for second all time with 136 catches this season. Brown also finished the season fourth all time with 1,834 yards this season. What a season it has been for the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Williams Exits With Injury
DeAngelo Williams exited the game in the first half with a right leg injury that appeared to be an ankle injury. There has not been an official word as to what exactly Williams injured, but he was spotted congratulating teammates after the game in a walking boot. Pittsburgh will need Williams for the postseason, as Fitzgerald Toussaint came in and totaled just 24 yards on twelve carries. Last year, the Steelers entered the playoffs without their starting running back and lost in the first round. Hopefully everything turns out well and Williams is good to go next week.
Shaky Day for Big Ben
Ben Roethlisberger has been spectacular this year. He leads the league in passing yards per game and would lead the league in passing yards if he didn't miss four games. Today, he had a big game on paper, with 349 yards and three touchdowns completed 67% of his passes. But, Roethlisberger did throw two interceptions and he could have thrown more. Big Ben made bad decisions and he made bad throws. Maybe he was just forcing it to Brown to help the receiver climb the record books, but Roethlisberger will definitely need to improve his decision making and accuracy come playoff time.
Offensive Line Plays Well
In recent weeks, the offensive line had been shaky and could have received some of the blame for Big Ben's interceptions. That just wasn't the case today. The Browns didn't sack Roethlisberger once, and they didn't make a single tackle in the backfield. Whether Pittsburgh plays the Broncos, Bengals, or Chiefs next week, they will see a team with a good pass rush. Days like today from the offensive line will be a major key for playoff success.
Fantastic Job By Front Seven
There have been weeks this year where the Steelers defensive line was always in the backfield, and some games have been just the opposite. Today, they played phenomenal. Austin Davis was sacked seven times by six different Steelers. Additionally, Pittsburgh made seven tackles in the backfield. With the secondary still shaky, the defensive line and linebackers must continue to do a great job of getting in the backfield.
Playoff Bound
It wasn't looking good coming into this week, but the Steelers are headed to the playoffs. As of now, it is unclear who the team will play. It is clear that they do have the six seed on lock, but they could play any of the three aforementioned teams. Sure, the game today wasn't great, but it's still a great day for Steelers fans everywhere.