By: G.Stryker
Each and every game has a pivotal moment where victory is decided. Not always the game winning play, but a play that determines the outcome, and if it went differently, a different result could be likely. So each week we will explore the exact moment of drama where the game pivots on: As the Game Turns.
It took a fake field goal pass to Alejandro Villanueva to tie the game before the half, for the slow starting Steelers. Their first drive of the first half was a 3 and out. The defense holds the Broncos to punt on 5 plays, but the Steelers are pinned on their own 3 yard line, and the home crowd was rocking.
It only took one play to score a 97 yard catch and run by JuJu Smith-Schuster to silence the crowd. The Steeler D forces another 3 and out, and the Steelers get the ball back and drive to midfield.
Facing 3rd and 3, Steelers control momentum, the crowd is out of the game, and at the very least, control field position if they have to punt from midfield. The Steelers got the play they wanted. They ran 2 receivers on the right side of the line on deep routes with Vance McDonald and Antonio Brown running a rub/cross drag in opposite directions. Brown enters the zone vacated by the deep receivers and is 1 on 1. Ben Roethlisberger overthrows the route to Chris Harris Jr playing zone, who runs the ball back into Pittsburgh territory.
Two plays later, the Broncos score a touchdown, recapture momentum, and the Steelers never regained the league. There are times when a turnover can be overcome, but in this game it was the turning point that led to a Steeler loss.
