Lions vs. Steelers 2013, Week 11: Detroit squanders chances in Pittsburgh

Dale Grdnic of Behind the Steel Curtain is impressed by the Pittsburgh defense:

Sean Yuille of Pride of Detroit believes the Lions beat themselves:

The Lions pulled back from a 14-0 deficit in the second quarter when Stafford hit Johnson for a 79-yard touchdown to make it 17-10. The touchdown pass was not only the 100th of Stafford’s career, but moved him into first place on the Lions’ all-time career passing yards list.

The Lions would score 27 points in the second quarter to fire back for a seven-point lead heading into the half. Johnson caught his second touchdown of the game on a 19-yard strike from Stafford with just under four minutes remaining before intermission.

Pittsburgh took a hint, and made some halftime adjustments to get more pressure on Stafford and tighter coverage on Megatron. It worked, at least enough to keep Detroit’s offensive duo from putting their names in the history book this week.

The Steelers held Stafford to just 35 yards in the second half as they scored 17 unanswered points. Stafford finished 19-of-46 for 362 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Three points there would have given the Lions a seven-point lead. A wider margin that it looks given Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles in this game. Did we mention it was raining? It was.

On the other hand, turning the ball over at the three-yard line still leaves 97 yards for the Steelers to drive. No sure thing. But given the back-and-forth in this one, Detroit’s best bet was to take the points here.

Bell looked to injure his foot or ankle just before the end of the third quarter. He limped off the field accompanied by the training staff, who could be seen examining his bare foot on training table.

Bush is the more dynamic of the two backs, but has been outgained by Bell on Sunday. Bell had nine carries for 49 yards and a touchdown before exiting and added three receptions for 48 yards. Bush had 10 carries for just 26 yards.

Detroit needs a win in order to extend its lead in the NFC North, while the Steelers are playing out a disappointing season with playoffs being close to an impossibility.

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Ansah had been quietly productive prior to the injury, recording 19 tackles, 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in nine games. The loss puts pressure on a team already struggling to rush the passer with Detroit’s defense ranked 29th in sacks. Ansah is second on the team in sacks, despite missing the last two games due to injury.

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Game Date/Time and Location: Sunday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m. ET at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pa.

TV schedule and distribution map: Fox; The506.com

At 6-3, the Lions have a one-game lead over Chicago and Green Bay in the division race. Four of Detroit’s final six games will come at home, so adding a road win in Pittsburgh would put the Lions in very good position for the playoffs. Detroit is 3-2 on the road this season, one of the main reasons it currently leads the division.

The 2013 season has gone the opposite direction for Pittsburgh. The Steelers are just 3-6, but are coming off a 23-10 win over Buffalo. The once-stout defense has had plenty of issues this season and Pittsburgh ranks near the bottom-third of the NFL in points allowed.

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Detroit is the heavy favorite to win this one. They are unanimous picks on SB Nation’s panel of experts and five out of eight analysts on ESPN are going with them as well. Over at CBS Sports, six out of nine experts are picking the Lions to win.

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