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 | A HUGE gold star thank you goes out to Barry Blyler for generously contributing the 2018 season for the rest of us to enjoy. Kudos, Barry!
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2018 Steelers 30 at Buccaneers 27 MNF
TE Vance McDonald sets the tone early when he gathers in a Roethlisberger pass, turns upfield and delivers a BRUTAL "sit down, son!" stiff arm to DB Chris Conte, rumbling 75-yds down the sideline for a score.
After an early pick, Big Ben has a nearly flawless game, hitting 30 of 38 for 353 yds and 3 TDs. The Bucs score first on a short Fitzpatrick TD pass, but Fitz soon implodes, throwing INTs on 3 consecutive drives in the 2nd quarter, lncluding a back-breaking pick-6 to Bud DuPree as the Steelers open up a 30-10 halftime lead. The Steelers sleepwalk a bit in the 2nd half and Tampa fights back, closing to within a FG late in the game. But it's too little, too late as the Steelers muscle down the clock to preserve the win.
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2018 Steelers 20 at Jaguars 16
For 3 quarters, the Steelers get their butts kicked, repeatedly giving up big runs and being manhandled in the trenches. Jacksonville only has 3 FGs to show for their first half dominance until late in the 3rd when Roethlisberger throws his 3rd pick of the day, setting up a seemingly effortless 80-yd march to give the Jags what appears to be an insurmountable 16-0 lead. But with a minute left in the 3rd, Ben finally lets the lightning out of the bottle, pump-faking and launching a bomb to a WIDE open Antonio Brown for a 78-yd TD. As the offense wakes up, so does the defense, holding Jacksonville without a single 1st down for the rest of the game. While James Conner suffers a pair of HUGE dropped passes -- one on 4th down and another that was a sure TD -- Juju Smith-Schuster bails him out with a pair of spectacular acrobatic grabs, and with 2:28 remaining, Ben hits Vance McDonald with a touch pass placed perfectly over coverage in the back of the end zone to narrow the score to 16-13. The defense forces another 3-and-out, and Ben coolly drives the Steelers 68 yds to the J-ville 2. The Jags appear to thwart the comeback with an INT in the end zone, but a blatant facemask overturns the play. With 5 seconds left, Ben rolls right and suddenly dives into the line, reaching the ball just beyond the goal line to complete a remarkable comeback.
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2018 Steelers 17 vs Patriots 10
With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the Steelers suddenly find a running game behind rookie backup Jaylen Samuels, who surprises with a punishing 19-carry 142-yd performance, spearheading Pittsburgh's first win over New England in 7 years. The Steelers also foil two perennial tormenters, limiting Gronkowski to only 2 catches for 21 yds, and forcing Tom Brady into a costly red zone INT by Joe Haden. Haden's leaping INT at the Steeler 4 thwarted a potential go-ahead score and led to a critical 48-yd FG by the struggling Chris Boswell to extend Pittsburgh's lead to 17-10. Brady drives to the Steeler 11 in the final seconds, but the Patriots turn it over on downs after 3 straight incompletions and the Steelers live to fight another day.
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