STEELERS 101

The Pittsburgh Steelers lead the Buffalo Bills 14-7 as the teams head to halftime in their preseason match up.

The Bills jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter by capping a 49-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run by running back Fred Jackson. On the drive, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick connected on three bug pass plays to set up the score.

The Steelers came back in the second quarter with a five-play 19-yard drive following a fumble recovery by defensive end Ziggy Hood (forced by linebacker Lawrence Timmons).  Isaac Redman capped the drive by scoring from two-yards out on third-and-goal to knot the score at seven.

The Steelers broke out their two-minute offense for a 13-play 98-yard touchdown drive in 1:33 to take the lead on a Ben Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown six-yard touchdown pass. At the outset of the drive, the Steelers struggled to get out of the shadow of their end zone before Roethlisberger hit running back Jonathan Dwyer for 28-yards on third down.

The big news for the Steelers was the injuries. Rookie first round pick David DeCastro left the game with a right knee injury and will not return. He was joined on the sideline by defensive end Brett Keisel, who suffered a left ankle injury.

Offensively, Redman looks solid in his first significant action of the preseason. Yes, he left the field briefly with a stinger, but he also ran with power between the tackles and runs with attitude. However, there is room for improvement in the running game.

The passing game appears a bit out of sync with three drops to this point (two by Antonio Brown and one by Emmanuel Sanders).  Roethlisberger finished the half 17-of-24 for 169 yards and one touchdown.

On defense, after opening a bit shaky, they came on as the half progressed. The defensive line provided solid pressure, with both Hood and Cameron Heyward applying some big hits on Fitzpatrick. Outside linebackers Chris Carter and LaMarr Woodley both looked solid, with Carter recording a sack to end one of the Bills drives.

The busiest member of the Steelers was punter Drew Butler, who was having an amazing half up until his last punt (not terrible, just a line drive).

 

Tags: Antonio Brown, Brett Keisel, Buffalo Bills, David DeCastro, Drew Butler, Football, Isaac Redman, NFL, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers

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