The Pittsburgh Steelers(3-2) got up big early and the Detroit Lions(1-4) rallied but the Steelers ultimately prevailed 28-20 to pick up their first road win of the season.
The Lions took an early 3-0 lead off of a Jason Hanson field goal but the Steelers would respond with a touchdown. Rashard Mendenhall, who filled in for the injured Willie Parker again, rushed for his third touchdown of the season from 7-yards out for a 7-3 Steelers lead. Mendenhall would finish with 15 carries for 77 yards. The Lions answered Pittsburgh's score with another Hanson field goal at the end of the first quarter to inch the Lions within a point at 7-6.
Ben Roethlisberger took control of the game leading the Steelers on a 12-play drive that covered 75-yards and chewed up 6 minutes 46 seconds off the clock and it ended when Heath Miller( 5 receptions for 54 yards) took a screen pass 15-yards for a 14-6 lead. On Pittsburgh's next drive Roethlisberger threw a pass into coverage that was intercepted and returned 38-yards for touchdown by William James to bring the Lions within a point once again 14-13. Big Ben and the offense responded with a 6-play 52-yard drive that was capped by Hines Ward( 7 catches for 77 yards) catching a pass and fighting his way into the end zone from 17-yards out for a 21-13 halftime lead.
After the half the Steelers hit their first big passing play all season when Roethlisberger found rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace( 2 catches 52 yards) open down field for a 47-yard touchdown bomb giving the Steelers a 28-13 lead.
In the fourth quarter both teams exchanged empty drives until the Lions tried mounting a comeback on the arm of Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper completed 6 passes on their final scoring drive with the last completion spanning 25-yards and Dennis Northcutt came down with the touchdown to bring the Lions closer 28-20. But on Detroit's final drive the Blitzburgh defense sacked Culpepper on three consecutive plays and then forced an incomplete pass to end the game. The Steelers sacked Culpepper 7 times with last year's defensive MVP James Harrison accounting for 3 sacks himself.
The offense looks unstoppable when they don't beat themselves with penalties and turnovers
and if they really wanted to they could have put the game away in the fourth if they would have just handed the ball off to Mendenhall. OC Bruce Arians likes to put the game in Ben's hands now instead of using the traditional Steelers football way of running out the clock with the running game. The defense finally forced a turnover and they got after a quarterback so that's good and I think once Troy Polamalu returns next week or in two weeks the defense will be fine because he will have guys in the right position to make the plays. All in all it was a good game and the Steelers should be proud. I'll be in Pittsburgh this weekend for the game against the Browns so I can't wait.
GO STEELERS!
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