By: G.Stryker, Twitter @SNStryker and Instagram @SNStryker
SteelerNation.com
Every game is like a soap opera with 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 happen. So each week we will explore the exact moment of drama where the game pivots on: As the Game Turns.
The greatest rivalry in professional sports is the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Baltimore Ravens. Each game seems to come down to one score or one stop late to win. This past Sunday was no different. After being down by 10 points at halftime, the Steelers mounted three touchdown drives in the 2nd half to take a 28-24 lead on the 5th lead change of the game.
The Ravens got the ball back and march nine plays to set up 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 8-yard line at the 2-minute warning. The ground game had reenergized the Ravens offense, and everyone was expecting a big play from Lamar Jackson to end this football game. Tyson Alualu went down with an injury in the first quarter, and running the football became that much easier for the rest of the game. Isaiah Buggs wasn’t perfect in relief, but he worked hard to get up to game speed, and on this play, he utilized all of his ability to help stop a first down -- but he had help.
Buggs stands the center up and is looking over his left shoulder into the backfield. Jackson sees that both A gaps are open, so if he does a cut back, he should have an easy first down, right? Not this time. Jackson feigns to the side where Buggs is looking, and cuts hard to his right. Buggs engages, sheds the block nicely, then wraps Jackson up at the waist. Vince Williams, in pursuit, attacks the upper body of Jackson as he reaches toward the first down line. This is when Minkah Fitzpatrick attacks the football forcing a fumble. Robert Spillane then falls on the fumble for his 2nd turnover of the day.
It was Buggs who made the most critical stop of the game for the Steelers, with all due respect to the final play of the game where Fitzpatrick again makes a play to attack the football to end the game with zeroes on the clock. That drive was a desperation drive with little chance of success. Kudos to the Ravens for playing a complete football game and making it exciting, but the game was won with a gang tackle on 4th and 3 with 2 minutes left. That gut-check stop showed Steeler Nation that their team can also win on defense. With an undefeated team that showed they can win many different ways, it makes it that much tougher to slow down these Steelers on their quest for a 7th Lombardi trophy.
#SteelerNation
