Patriots vs. Steelers is Why the NFL is Unstoppable Entertainment
Duron Harmon grabbed the deflected football in the end zone, ending the most breathtaking game of the 2017 season (so far); I let out a high-pitched scream and clapped my hands. The dog rose from the floor, wondering what all the commotion was about; I yelled and clapped my hands. Having all the makings of a classic, the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers followed suit. The unrelenting game further solidified the National Football League as the sporting monopoly of entertainment.
Tom Brady, hawk-eyed, stepping up in the pocket and throwing darts per usual. Ben Roethlisberger, alluding should-be sacks like he always does. Rob Gronkowski, unfathomable stride and separation. Le’Veon Bell, the patient but explosive man. The Steelers and the Patriots played like their entire franchise histories were on the line, or, perhaps, just the number-one seed in the AFC.
Culminating with a botched goal-line play — no players were really set as Roethlisberger wondered if he should spike the ball or not — Sunday’s rain-soaked affair probably shouldn’t have gotten to Jesse James’ dropped touchdown catch and Harmon’s interception. Taking my eyes off the television screen for a few seconds, I saw JuJu Smith-Schuster (filling in for Antonio Brown, who went out with a calf injury) running free down the sideline. The Patriots’ defense has trouble tracking down Smith-Schuster as he cuts to the middle of the field, eventually gaining 69 yards on the crossing route out of nowhere. New England can’t allow these types of moments, especially after Brady’s 51st career game-winning drive, his second at Heinz Field. Gronk and Brady solely shredded the Steelers’ defense, and once Gronk finished his Robo-Gronk spike to celebrate his two-point fade completion, Brady said to his tight end, “it’s not over.” Pittsburgh had 56 seconds.
Back to that Brady-Gronk game-winning drive, set up from a third-down stop by New England’s defense; it was the single three-and-out for either offense during the game. The Steelers gave Gronkowski no respect. A catch to midfield; across the field, again, on a blitz; and again, gripping the ball five inches from the grass while doing a summer-salt. Dion Lewis finished the drive with a great run, and guess who made the key block? Yeah! Gronk! Dude is the equivalent of Jax from Mortal Kombat.
Pittsburgh fans are crying over Jesse James’ overturned touchdown catch at the end, but that’s just how the league rules are right now. And it makes sense. You can’t have the ground catch the football for you; that’s what we have hands for. Great review work by the referees.
Feeling like a Sunday Night Football blockbuster (kicked off at 4:25 p.m.) or a AFC Championship warm-up, A. Brown’s majority absence didn’t dramatically change the game as most of us thought. Smith-Schuster, Martavis Bryant, Bell, and Eli Rodgers did more than enough. In the second quarter, Bryant made an astonishing diving catch for a huge gain. And, of course, Bell was doing Bell things, and Big Ben was doing Big Ben things. Rex Burkhead (Patriots) isn’t a fair trade for Brown, but he left the game with a knee injury, if that made Pittsburgh feel any better? And then Brady threw an interception, the first pick against the Steelers in 301 pass attempts; we have to go all the way back to 2005. On December 17, a benched Brady was the best Brady for Pittsburgh; they controlled possession. One way to beat Brady: keep him off the field. Doesn’t always work though.
On a day when the Jacksonville Jaguars (first playoff appearance since 2007), Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles clinched a post-season berth, Pittsburgh and New England played what is probably the most excitable, challenging game between the two in history. Until January (unless Jacksonville has something to say, which they might).
