The Steelers broke the game against the Lions open with a 97-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster. Both teams struggled in the red zone, and Roethlisberger wasn’t terribly accurate for most of the night. But that pivotal play locked up the 20-15 win for the Steelers.
4 plays that gave the Steelers a 20-15 win over the Lions
The Steelers broke it open with one 97-yard touchdown play.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Here are the four key plays that gave the Steelers the victory.
A costly personal foul overturns a fumble and Lions recovery
The Lions force a fumble, but Quandre Diggs led with the helmet and hit Steelers tight end Jesse James right in the chin. The penalty overturned the fumble, and the Steelers kept driving. The Steelers turned it into a field goal and took a 13-12 lead.
Matthew Stafford can’t convert a fourth-and-goal from the 1
The Lions weren’t able to get into the end zone all night despite getting into the red zone five times. Detroit had a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line on the next series, and Matthew Stafford took the snap in the shotgun, hesitated, and then got stopped short of the goal line.
Ben Roethlisberger hits JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 97-yard TD
This one very nearly sealed the game for Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger struggled to hit wide open receivers throughout the night, but not on this play. It was a flawless throw and it gave Pittsburgh a 20-12 lead.
The Lions turn it over on downs AGAIN
Stafford has Eric Ebron open on fourth-and-7 at the Steelers’ 8-yard line. But Ryan Shazier very nearly picks it off. The pass is incomplete, and the Steelers get it back for one last series.
It started to look like it might turn into a classic Matthew Stafford fourth-quarter comeback. But the Lions couldn’t overcome their red zone woes.
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