Pittsburgh Steelers Team Grades: Snow Can't Stop Le'Veon Bell In Sloppy Win Over Buffalo Bills
By Danny Cox
The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills with the hope that they could extend their winning streak. They also hoped for an easy victory over an inconsistent Bills team. Well, the Steelers did extended their winning streak to four, but they did so in a sloppy game against a Bills team that came to play.
With snow falling throughout the game, the weather impacted the field conditions and made things difficult for both teams. The Steelers prevailed 27-20 thanks to strong defensive play early on and another masterful game from running back Le'Veon Bell.
Offense: B
Ben Roethlisberger had a terrible outing, as he ended up throwing three interceptions. Luckily for the Steelers, the Bills didn't do a lot with those turnovers. It was Bell who carried the offense on his back and helped his team secure a victory.
Bell finished the day with 236 yards on 38 rushing attempts and all three touchdowns for Pittsburgh. He also caught four balls for 62 yards, which added up to a staggering 298 total yards on the day. The only other offensive player who made an impact was Antonio Brown, who had five receptions for 78 yards.
A lot of credit needs to go to the offensive line too.They opened holes all day for Bell to run through and saved Roethlisberger from being sacked.
Defense: B-
Up until the final quarter, the defense essentially shut down the Bills. Tyrod Taylor was hounded all day and finished completing 15-of-25 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns, but a lot of that came late when the game was close to being decided. He was also sacked five times and threw one pick.
Buffalo's running game totaled 67 yards of offense and if not for a 41-yard reception by LeSean McCoy, the passing game would have been under 200. It was a good day for the Steelers' defense even if they did seem to lighten up a bit late in the game.
Special Teams: B-
The return game was next to nothing due to the weather. Antonio Brown had four punt returns for just 28 yards. Fitzgerald Toussaint helped the offense a little with two kick returns for 47 yards. Jordan Berry did well on his two punts with a long of 56 yards and pinned Buffalo inside their own 20-yard-line on one occasion. Finally, Chris Boswell hit both of his extra point attempts and all three field goal attempts with a long of 39 yards.
Coaching: B
Heavy snow made playing conditions treacherous at times, but Mike Tomlin was prepared and had a solid game plan that revolved around the ground game. Having the lead for the entire game also worked in the Steelers' favor. They were able to stick to the plan and hand the ball off to Bell for the duration of the game.
With the win over the Bills, the Steelers have won four games in a row. The team will be scoreboard watching Monday night when the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots play. If Baltimore loses, the Steelers will take sole control of the AFC North. Next week, the 8-5 Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals and will look to keep their winning streak alive.