Post-Game Buzz: Steelers shutdown Manning, boast dominant running game in 24-20 win

No Rashard Mendenhall, No Jonathan Dwyer, No problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3). Isaac Redman (26 CAR – 147 YARDS – 1 TD) rushed for 147 yards and the Steelers defense shutdown Eli Manning and the Giants offense in the 4th quarter, en route to an impressive 24-20 victory over the defending Super Bowl Champions on Sunday afternoon at Metlife Stadium.

Pittsburgh trailed 20-10 mid-way through the 3rd quarter but a Mike Wallace 51 yard touchdown (2:27 into 4th quarter) on a quick slant turned the game around for the Steelers who improved to 5-3 on the season and suddenly look like a contender again in the AFC, earning their first marquee win of the year.

This game turned in the 4th quarter and the Steelers would limit the Giants to minus-9 yards in the quarter on three possessions and Pittsburgh took the lead, 24-20, on an Isaac Redman 1 yard touchdown run with 4:08 left in the 4th.

The Steelers mirrored with late 4th quarter collapses on defense and facing the most clutch quarterback in the game, shut the door on Manning and the Giants offense, forcing a three and out following Redman’s go-ahead TD and the Steelers would never let Manning get the ball again, running the clock out, highlighted by a Roethlisberger to Emmanuel Sanders 16 yard catch on 3rd and 9 just before the two-minute warning and Redman iced the game on the next play with a 28 yard run up the middle. Gaining several yards after contact, Redman was huge in the win as the Steelers have posted three straight 100 yard rushing games.

Despite a game featuring two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, we didn’t see great QB play from Manning or Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger had the much better night, going 21 of 30 for 216 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Roethlisberger though lost a fumble for a touchdown and threw an awful interception and was sacked 4 times. Manning never found a comfort zone and statistically was awful in the loss. Manning went 10 of 24 for 125 yards with 1 interception.

Roethlisberger in the win threw touchdown passes to Emmanuel Sanders (2 REC – 20 Yards – 1 TD) and Mike Wallace (3 REC – 66 Yards – 1 TD), giving him 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions through eight games.

While the Steelers had a dominant rushing attack, they got several big plays in the return game. Chris Rainey had a long kick return of 68 yards, finishing the night with 173 return yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with a rib injury. Emmanuel Sanders in the 4th quarter had a 63 yard punt return returned to the Giants 23 yard line but the Steelers were not able to put points on the board after Mike Tomlin out-thinking himself, called a fake field goal on 4th and 1 at the Giants 3 yard line and the move backfired as Suisham was stopped short. The bad call though would not haunt the Steelers as the defense forced a three and out and Pittsburgh would then put together a 9 play, 51 yard scoring drive capped off by Redman’s 1 yard TD run to take the lead.

NOTES: Top wide receiver Antonio Brown left the game in the first half with a mild high ankle sprain and did not return……Chris Rainey suffered a rib injury…..Due to Brown’s injury, Jerricho Cotchery saw his most extensive action of the season and had 4 receptions for 50 yards….Keenan Lewis had 87 yards on two pass interference penalties…..