• On the Steelers’ ensuing possession, they went 80 yards in 10 plays, with Pickett completing all four of his passes – two to Pickens for 39 yards and one each to Johnson and Connor Heyward for 11 each – and the running game producing 29 yards on six carries.
Najee Harris, who had 21 rushing yards on four carries during the drive, finished it off with a 3-yard touchdown run.
That was a big-time drive in a big-time moment. And it was all sparked by Johnson’s catch.
After missing on six of seven third downs prior to Johnson’s catch, the Steelers barely bothered to get to third down after that.
The floodgates were open.
• Nacua’s numbers were huge, of course. And the Rams also had 135 yards rushing on 31 carries, despite being without their top two running backs.
But the Steelers made a decision not to let All-Pro receiver eCooper Kupp beat them. Kupp had two receptions for 29 yards on seven targets.
“We did a good job of just protecting our leverage. There was a couple of times he got behind us. I feel like we did a great job of containing him,” cornerback Patrick Peterson said of Kupp. “When you see Cooper Kupp out there, you usually see him making multiple big plays. I feel like we did a good job of keeping that to a minimum. Obviously, Puca had a solid game, but that’s what we wanted to do. We had to force someone else to beat us.”
Every time the Rams ran the ball, even when they were getting positive yards, it was like a win for the Steelers. It was one fewer time they would test the Steelers with Kupp.
The Rams wound up throwing the ball 29 times and running it 31 – in a game they lost.
“They had a run scheme that had us,” said Kazee. “But you can’t run it all day. The moment we got up, you can’t keep running.”
And the Rams obviously feared the Steelers’ pass rush, a big reason they ran the ball so much.
“I think that was,” said Kazee.
• At halftime with the Steelers trailing, 9-3, head coach Mike Tomlin had a message for his team.
“I kid you not, when we left the locker room, coach said, ‘It’s time for A players to be A players,'” said Peterson. “And T.J. Watt, first play, pick.”
Watt dropped into coverage, read Stafford’s eyes and single-handedly turned the game around.
