Detroit Rock City: Steelers WIN

28

20

It wasn't pretty in the end, but a win is a win. The defense waited until the very last moment to step up, but it was good to see them do it. We're probably the best first half team in the league, and the worst second half team. Good thing we've got Cleveland next week. Derrick Anderson had 27 yards passing today against Buffalo.

Game Recap

The Steelers win the toss and elect to receive.

The Steelers come out throwing with a quick screen to Hines. Two incompletions later it's punt city. Superman flips the field.

Harrison owns a tight end and slams Culpepper on the first play.

Two plays later on 3rd and long, Culpepper scrambles out of the pocket and have no one in front of him, scampering for 32 yards. The Steelers force 3rd and long again, but the Lions convert a screen pass to move the ball inside the 35 and pick up a first down. On the fringe of field goal range, the Lions go run-run-pass and the defense holds.

3-0

The Steelers go back to the quick-hitters and hit Holmes who breaks a tackle and picks up some good yards. The Steelers, the worst screening team in the league, throw a screen to Mendenhall. Essex goes down with an injury, but it doesn't matter as Rashard RAISE SOME MendenHELL rips off a big 27-yarder on 2nd and short. Ben goes play action 2 plays later and zips one to Ward on a flag route to get inside the 10. Raise Some bounces one out to the right and beats two Lions to the corner to go untouched into the end zone.

7-3

The Lions get a good return from former Penn State star Derrick Williams, and grind out a first down to get the ball near midfield. Culpepper converts two passes to get the ball down inside the 10. Culpepper goes play-action and Harrison applies pressure, forcing Culpepper to throw it away. Flags come out for intentional grounding, pushing the Lions back behind the 20. Kirschke stuffs a running play in the backfield. On 3rd and goal from the 28, Culpepper can't hook up with a receiver.

7-6

Mendenhall gets stacked up on first down, but picks up 6 on their bread and butter left-guard pull play. Tone grabs one on a quick slant to move the chains. Raise Some picks up 6 yards as the quarter expires.

More commercials than game time in the first quarter. No numbers to back that up, just felt like it. CBS needs to chill out.

Second Quarter

Mendenhall hauls in a check-down pass and surges for the first down. Raise Some makes a great play after Ben botches a hand-off to fall on the loose ball. Mewelde Moore makes a few guys miss on a screen pass to get into 3rd and manageable. Ben throws a pick but Guns Hoculi becomes the first ref in NFL history to actually call a roughing the passer on Ben to keep the drive alive. Scary moment as Ben gets up a bit slow, but stays in the game. Tone reels one in on another quick-slant to convert 3rd and 5 to get inside the 15. Raise Some keeps churning the wheels and picks up 9 to get inside the 5. Spaeth gets called for a hold that brings back a would-have-been touchdown on 2nd down.

Heath gets the call on a tight end screen and bulldozes his way into the end zone.

14-6

Our boy Patrick Bailey catches D-Will from behind to stop a big return. Aaron Smith dominates two plays stopping two straight runs at the line. The Diesel comes up the middle and forces a throw-away for the Lions first 3-and-out of the game. The Steelers pick up their 3rd penalty of the game on a Detroit kicking play, but luckily it was after the kick, so the Steelers keep the ball.

Pinned back deep, the Steelers spread it out and Ben pump fakes to Moore then rips one to a wide open Holmes for a big gain. Ben goes deep but Mike Wallace is channeling his inner Limas Sweed and can't hold onto the ball when he's wiiide open. Moore picks up a few on a draw play, setting up 3rd and 8. Ben looks for Wallace on an out at the sticks, but a Lion D-back jumps the route and takes it to the house.

14-13

Logan is able to turn the corner on the Lions kick coverage and zips upfield until he's finally pulled down at the 50.

Heath reels one in over the middle on 2nd down to move the chains and get a chours of HEEEATH cheers in Ford Field. Who's the home team here? Heath gets 2 more catches and just bowls over some D-backs on the next few plays to get us down inside the 20. Hines snags one over the middle then goes up and over two Lions at the goal line for his first TD of the season.

21-13

The Lions come out with a screen pass to Kevin Smith who gets some good blocks and takes it out across the 40. Dennis Northcutt, who Steelers fans cringe at because of what he did to us when he played for Cleveland, catches one across the middle to move the chains and wind the clock to 2:00. The Steelers bring some heat, forcing the Lions into a 3rd down.

Harrison comes flying through the line and brings down Culpepper in the backfield.

Willie Colon gets his requisite false start penalty with the clock running, prompting the Steelers to have to take a time out rather than letting 10 seconds tick off. The Steelers look sloppy, with 2 deflected passes on the drive. Luckily, Moore and Heath are still able to pick them up. The Steelers call time out with 5 seconds left, but then opt to take a knee and run out the half. The knee was a good call, but no idea why you call the time out if you're just going to kill the clock.

Halftime

More commercials from CBS.

Anyone notice that all the Steelers are doing the Larry Foote "stomp" celebration after making plays?

Third Quarter

Kevin Smith picks up his best run of the game with a 7-yarder, then catches one on a dump-down to move the chains. Harrison plows through Jeff Backus and picks up his 3rd sack of the game. On 3rd and long, Culpepper finds Pettigrew down the seam for a leaping first down. Culpepper is able to pick up another 3rd down with his feet to keep the Lions on the field. A holding penalty sets the Lions back into another 3rd and long. The Lions play for 3. Hanson hooks it wide right from 49 yards.

The offense comes out with good field position and are able to convert a 3rd and short with a dump-down to Moore. Ben goes deep for the 60-minute man. Wallace makes a great play on an underthrown ball and holds on for his first career touchdown.

28-13

Patrick Bailey gets his name called again on kick coverage, plowing through 2 blockers to make the tackle.

The Steelers D forces another 3rd and long, but the Lions go back to the screen pass and beat the blitz to move the chains. Ziggy Hood gets the first tackle of his career and makes a good stuff of Kevin Smith. Culpepper rolls out and converts another 3rd down with a pass to Northcutt on the sideline. Smith is able to move the chains with a 10-yard dash on 2nd down. The Lions run a draw play on 3rd and long and pick up the first down. Culpepper makes a terrible terrible play on a fumbled snap and tries to throw it away back across the field, right into the arms of Ryan Clark.

The Steelers first interception since Polamalu's against Tennessee bails out the defense that had give up 3 third-and-long conversions on the drive.

Mendenhall gets a carry as the quarter expires.

Fourth Quarter

Ben zips one to Hines across the middle and he breaks some tackles to get the first down. Raise Some breaks some more tackles and goes spinning forward for the first down. A false start on Spaeth sets the Steelers back, and Ben gets sacked on 3rd down, bringing out Superman.

The Lions get set back by a holding penalty then do nothing. Punt.

The Steelers have a chance, starting near midfield, to put the game away, but Ben gets sacked twice, and it's punt time again.

Culpepper goes deep and clearly overthrows D-Will and Ike gets flagged for pass interference. Bad call, the ball was clearly overthrown. It was was so bad, even Dan Fouts admits it was a questionable call. The Steelers look to be in business after a holding call, but Culpepper buys some time and converts another 3rd and long. Kevin Smith takes a check-down pass across the field and picks up some big yards to get down to the 25.

The Steelers take a timeout to change personnel and the Lions take advantage, hitting Northcutt down the middle for a touchdown right after the break.

28-20

Raise Some busts an 8-yarder up the middle to get things rolling, but then gets stuffed in the backfield on 2nd down. Mike Wallace can't come up with the ball on a come-back route, bringing on the punt team again.

Patrick Bailey once again makes a special teams play.

You get that sinking feeling in your stomach as the Lions offense comes out with 3 minutes to play. D-Will catches one to get the Lions near midfield. D-Will catches another one on the sidelines to move the Lions inside the 35. LaMarr Woodley finally makes his presence felt and brings down Culpepper back at the 43. On 3rd and 19, Culpepper finds Northcutt open at the 20. Terrible coverage by the Steelers secondary.

Two Minute Warning

Woodley picks up his second sack of the game as Culpepper tries to elude Willie Gay on the blitz. LeBeau keeps bringing it and runs the same blitz and Big Play Willie Gay brings down Culpepper to set up 3rd and 21. Detroit takes a time out to think things over.

Lawrence Timmons comes unblocked up the middle and brings down Culpepper for the 3rd consecutive sack. On 4th and forever and a mile, Culpepper goes downtown...

...and Ike out-jumps everyone and knocks the ball away.

Victory formation.

Game.

Players of the Game

Offensive Game Ball: Ben Roethlisberger

Defensive Game Ball: James Harrison

Honorable Mentions:

Willie Gay

Hines Ward

Heath Miller

LaMarr Woodley

Mike Wallace

Aaron Smith

Rashard Mendenhall

Patrick Bailey

Mr. Yuck Sticker of the Game

Third Down Defense

Detroit was 11 for 18 on third downs, and most of their conversions came in 3rd and long situations. The Steelers defense was fantastic on first and second down, but just couldn't seal the deal on 3rd down. The Steelers brought more pressure this week, but the coverage behind the pressure was poor. Receivers were running open and backs were picking up big yards on screen plays.

Final Thoughts

• This team is certainly making things a lot more interesting than they have to be.
• Did we play offense after Wallace's touchdown?
• 3 sacks in a row? Sick.
• 7 total sacks. Woooo
• No way this game is this close with Matt Stafford in the game.
• 7.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks for Willie Gay. What a game. Bryant who?
• I guess Cincinnati is that good, they beat Baltimore too.
• Heath should go to the Pro Bowl.
• Great to see Hines find paydirt.
• Mendenhall had a great first half then the Steelers stopped giving him the rock.
• Harrison looks like the Defensive Player of the Year again.
• Another solid game for Roethlisberger. He's having a Pro-Bowl type year.
• Raise Some averaged over 5 yards per carry, but only got the rock 15 times.