The idiom “a knee jerk reaction” means that you respond to something in an equally unthinking way. That’s something as sports fans that we typically do, and if it’s in an unthinking way then I definitely qualify. Knee jerks apply especially if you are a full blood Yinzer, or even just a part Yinzer, who am I fooling it’s more like if you are a Steeler fan in general. As is the custom, I compile my knee-jerk thoughts and publish them immediately after each Steelers game (my son Kyle might have a few things to say as well). It’s my version of running my mouth first and apologizing later (if at all). So with that being said, it’s time to react to the Steelers Week 13 game against the Bills. Let’s get this going, HERE……WE……GO!!!
1st Quarter
- Big Bro and Kyle are in attendance at Acrisure today, so it’s Lil’ Bro with the knee jerks today.
- Steelers elevate Asante Samuel Jr. and have Darius Slay as a healthy scratch. Anybody have a problem with that? I sure don’t.
- Steelers win the toss and defer. Let’s get a stop defense.
- T.J. Watt bites down hard and Cook goes around his side for almost 20. Not a good start.
- After an incompletion and a short run, the Steelers defense gets the Bills to third and seven. Allen has plenty of time and connects on the long pass to the Bill‘s new wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
- It’s another third and long, this time third and 10. This time it’s an interception! Brandin Echols comes down with the pass that wasn’t going to go for the first down anyway.
- Let’s go offense… turn this into points!
- Nice toss fake in the jumbo package with a dump off to Metcalf for 8 yards to start.
- A run and a pass to Jaylen Warren both well behind the line of scrimmage now has the Steelers in third and 10. No pass interference called with the corner not even looking but didn’t really make contact. Steelers come up empty after the takeaway.
- See, that’s how you get a running back flying up past the line of scrimmage. Hand the ball off to him as he’s running forward, not have him stand there and wait for the quarterback to take it back to him. It’s just the wrong team doing it.
- Steelers have already given up multiple rushes of 10 yards or more and it’s only 10 minutes into the game.
- There’s a nice job by Herbig to keep it from bouncing outside and throwing it for a loss.
- Almost a facemask call that wasn’t luckily it gets overturned. Once again it’s third and 10. Herbig almost gets the sack but Allen gets rid of it for the incompletion. Punt to come.
- Scratch that. Buffalo tries to draw the Steelers offsides to maybe get an FG range, instead they take the delay and now they will punt.
- This is the problem. Gainwell has to run 7 yards just to get to the line of scrimmage. Running these players out of pistol has the Steelers so far backed up it’s tough to get any yardage.
- Roman Wilson had a step on his guy but the ball is overthrown. It’s a three and out.
- Quickly to third and four and Echols is all over the receiver. Bills respond with a three and out.
- Play action pass gives Rodgers all the time in the world. But nobody was open.
- Warren rushes for about 12 and takes the ball across midfield to end of the first quarter. 0–0 through 15:00.
2nd Quarter
- Steelers can’t muster another first down after switching ends of the field and it’s another punt. This one was not a good one. Only 26 yards. The wind and cold don’t help, but still not good.
- Herbig was doing a great job forcing that run wide, making Cooks lose the ball and the Steelers are on it!
- There’s a throw and completion over 10 yards.
- Gainwell scoops that pass up which almost hit the ground and runs for 17 yards on the catch. Was that with one hand?
- Jaylen Warren finishes it off with the 2-yard run! Boswell adds the extra point. 7–0 Steelers as they cash in on the fumble recovery.
- I see why the Bills are the best rushing team in the NFL.
- Dugger comes on the blitz and knocks down the would-be screen pass. Almost looked like he could’ve picked it off.
- Steelers defense gets to a third and eight but the dump off to the running back gets just enough.
- It seems like there’s a huge hole to run through every play for the Bills.
- Watt should have had the sack, but Allen breaks it and slides short and takes a big hit from Patrick Queen. Probably should have been flagged for being late.
- Queen basically doesn’t participate in the next play and collapses to the field and calls for trainers.
- That’s a pretty good tackle by Joey Porter on the edge. If he misses that it might be a touchdown.
- Defense is facing a third and eight in the red zone. This is a four-point play. Please don’t be willing to give up seven yards.
- Instead they give up five. Not sure if Buffalo is going to kick or go for it. James Pierre is now down.
- Bills try to draw the Steelers offsides, but even if they did it wouldn’t have been a first down because it would have been half the distance to the goal.
- Bills offense comes back on the field to go for it, but a false start brings out the field goal team. 7–3 Steelers.
- A personal foul penalty after the kickoff return backs the Steelers up. They complete a short pass and then run for the first down and let the clock expire. 7–3 Steelers at the half.
3rd Quarter
- The first offensive play Rodgers holds the ball way too long, coughs it up, and the Bills return it for a touchdown. 10–7 Buffalo.
- Mason McCormick rode Bosa out of the play and didn’t stay on him. But he expected the ball to be gone after that long.
- Rodgers falls on his hand on that strip sack and now Mason Rudolph is in.
- Rudolph throws it into the ground, but the defender getting the 15-yard penalty might be the most offense we see for a while.
- Rodgers is out. Please get out of that stupid pistol formation so you can run the ball 3 yards closer to the line of scrimmage.
- Shocking. The pass goes towards the sidelines. How do you throw that far over Mt. Washington? That interception means the Steelers turned the ball over twice in the first two minutes of the second half.
- Look! It’s a pass in the middle of the field! Oh wait. That’s the wrong team.
- Just running the ball right down the Steelers throat.
- The Steelers stopped them on third down. Bills are going for it on fourth and goal at the two.
- Josh Allen extends plays. That’s what he does. Finds the open receiver in the back of the end zone. But the PAT is no good. 16–7 Bills.
- Gainwell gets the handoff and runs for 7 yards. But it took him 6 yards to get back to the line of scrimmage so it’s a gain of one.
- The run on third and eight gets seven yards. It’s a double surrender by calling the run on third and long and punting on fourth and one.
- It’s just running the ball right down the field. Bills are over 200 yards rushing and there’s more than four minutes left in the third quarter.
- Bills on the cups of another touchdown. 16-7 after three.
4th Quarter
- After an easy touchdown pass is dropped, Cam Heyward blows up the run for a 3 yard loss. Can they get a stop on third down?
- Seriously defense? You stop the quarterback and just let everyone push you all into the end zone. That type of effort is usually associated with the word cat or willow.
- This team should not win another game this season. They are not very good. As much as I want to cheer for them and want them to win, this team doesn’t deserve a playoff spot. That’s just the reality of it.
- Seriously? The very first snap rolls past Rodgers and they loses 16 yards.
- That’s a good idea. Throw it to Washington and let him run over people. Actually got it to third and makeable.
- The Steelers convert with a pass to DK Metcalf.
- There’s how the Steelers should’ve been running the ball all game.
- There we go! That’s a pass over 10 yards in the middle of the field. Rodgers isn’t afraid to throw it, and Washington will do good things.
- Steelers are going for it on fourth and two at the 7-yard line. They run the ball out of shotgun to Gainwell and lose a yard.
- I didn’t think the Steelers were going to come back and win, but that seals it. And there’s more than 10 minutes left in the game.
- Seriously? Renegade? After you failed to convert which pretty much seals the game? Just keep it in the queue for next time. That’s embarrassing.
- Run. Run. Run. And can’t be stopped.
- Bill’s running down to almost a minute left and had a field goal. 26–7 Buffalo.
- I have a lot of thoughts on this game. It’s sad that the Steelers are still in first place in AFC North. The AFC is so wide open this year with no dominant team but the Steelers are at least two tiers below the real contenders.
- Rudolph comes on to end the misery. One of the worst halves I’ve seen. 26-7 final.
- I’m embarrassed to say I’ll be watching next week. Not looking forward to it.
Once again, I just fired off what was going through my head at the time. All reactions were in real time. Basically, it is the equivalent of watching the game with a me and Warren, you just don’t have to go to another room because of my screaming at the television. Now time to process it, do some quick analyzing for the Scho Bro Show, and then put it behind me as we move on quickly move on to Week 14, as the Steelers take on the Ravens. Make sure you get your voice heard in the comments below.
