BROWN TO THE WIRE
Star wideout carries sagging Steelers to last-second win, continued relevance in AFC
Le’VEON Bell can come back into the Pittsburgh huddle now after holding out for six games, or he can remain away from his teammates.
It’s no matter to the Steelers offense. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now knows he can hand off to a tailback in James Conner who has rushed for 100 yards or more the last two contests, both wins. He can also throw a quick pass out left to receiver Antonio Brown — old reliable — and watch him outdistance the secondary for a game-winning touchdown, as he did Sunday once more.
Pittsburgh is 3-2-1, and looking ready for liftoff after back-to-back victories and a pair of winnable games ahead.
“Goodness, gracious,” Roethlisberger said after his team beat Cincinnati, 28-21, on the road. “Glory to the Lord. That was fun.”
Pittsburgh has plenty to be thankful for after starting out with a tie in Cleveland and a loss to Kansas City in a shootout. Bell has yet to report to the team’s training facility or game stadium, but Conner proved capable of carrying the load with another 111 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns. Roethlisberger praised his willingness to break tackles and absorb blows along the way.
“He was a bowling ball,” Roethlisberger said. “What a great game, but I know it’s his last game for us, because Le’Veon’s coming back.”
Who knows when Bell will make his way back. Pittsburgh has a bye next week, and a date with Cleveland the following Sunday. Bell is expected to return during the bye, but an ESPN report Sunday noted Pittsburgh off icials have yet to hear from the star back who let it be known he has stayed away to reduce the risk of injuring himself prior to an anticipated payday.
Conner doesn’t seem to care. He stepped out of Bell’s shadow and into the lead role. In six games, he has rushed for seven touchdowns, joining Franco Harris (1976) and Jerome Bettis (2004) as the only Steelers with so many TDs in such a short time. Bell never did that. Conner will keep the ball rolling until he comes back.
WHAT A BROCK!
Beware The Osweiler. Once billed as a potential franchise leader in Houston before failing as the starter, quarterback
Brock Osweiler found his way back into a positive light Sunday afternoon when he led the Dolphins to a 31-28 victory over Chicago in Miami Gardens.
“I felt comfortable from the first play,” Osweiler said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. So grateful for the opportunity.”
Osweiler stood in for Ryan Tannehill, who was unable to go because of a shoulder injury, and completed 28-of-44 passes for 380 yards and a hat trick of touchdowns. There was a pair of interceptions, as well. He did it all after taking only a few snaps with the first-team offense on Thursday and Friday as Tannehill’s status declined.
“Nothing was perfect, but we all stayed together on the sidelines,” Osweiler said.
Osweiler received plenty of support. Wideout Albert Wilson took one pass 75 yards as he wove his way through Chicago’s secondary to the end zone. The ageless Frank Gore rushed for 101 yards, and
Kenyan Drake added another 57 yards on the ground. Drake fumbled at the goal line in overtime, but Osweiler encouraged him to keep his head up. Drake went on a run to set up the game-winning field goal from Jason Sanders, who was three-for-three on the day with a long from 50 yards.
“This system’s not new to me,” said Osweiler, who worked under head coach Adam Gase when Gase was an assistant in Denver. “Today felt like a heavyweight title fight. I threw two interceptions, no one blinked an eye.”
Osweiler noted he was emotional on the way to the stadium knowing Gase had remained loyal to him when his star had faded. And he noted he wanted to repay Gase’s trust by being ready.
“At the end of the day, an entire franchise is counting on you,” Osweiler said.
FOR PETE’S SAKE
That was Ol’ Pick-Six Peterman resuming his part in Buffalo’s loss at Houston.
When rookie starter Josh Allen left the game due to a right elbow injury in the third quarter,
Nathan Peterman, the former starter, stepped in and threw a touchdown that gave the Bills a 13-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Peterman proceeded to throw an interception that was returned 28 yards by cornerback Johnathan Joseph for a touchdown that gave the Texans a 20-13 lead with 1:1 3 left which doubled as the final score.
“It’s something I’m going to learn from,” Peterman said. “Critical time. I just thought there was so many lessons for me to learn and get better from.”
It was the sixth game Peterman has appeared since being drafted by the Bills in 2017. He has now thrown 10 interceptions in that span. He was benched in the season opener to make room for Allen.
“We got to have more respect for the football,” Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said. “I thought he tried to force the football in those situations. You can’t do that. You have to take what the defense gives you.”
PLAY OF THE DAY
San Diego was already up 7-3 when quarterback
Philip Rivers cocked his arm, let the ball fly 45 yards in the air and watched wideout Tyrell Wil
liams leap to haul in a touchdown pass as three Browns failed to break up the play in the end zone.
“It was a heck of a play,” Rivers said. “We ran a different formation, but the exact same play back-to-back and got the same coverage both times or a different version of the same coverage. I thought we had it, and I was trying to make sure this safety over here committed to [Sean] Culkin on the corner route. He did, and then wheeled out of it right at the last second. When the ball was about halfway there, I thought it was intercepted. Tyrell did a great job.”
POST PATTERNS
The Rams were already up on the Broncos, 13-3, when wideout Cooper Kupp took a jet sweep up the right sideline in the second quarter. Denver defensive back Darian Stewart brought him down with an illegal horse-collar tackle, and Kupp’s left knee buckled with what appeared to be a gruesome injury. Kupp was tended to, and then carted off the f ield. Still, he managed to return for the start of the second half. He finished the day with the 12 yards he gained on the sweep, and the Rams won, 23-20. … Washington’s Adri
an Peterson proved it isn’t always the shoes, as he picked up 21 yards on a run after losing a spike along the way. He finished with 97 yards. … Tampa receiver DeSean Jackson was the most frustrated Buccaneer in the building on the last play of the game. Trailing 34-29 as time ran out, quarterback Jameis Winston sprinted up field before flipping the ball to his left. The ball bounced around, and eventually Jackson failed to field it with a sliver of space open for a potential touchdown leap. The ball went out of bounds and no time was left.