ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Steelers got some good news before they took the field Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills. By virtue of Kansas City’s victory earlier Sunday again Miami, the Steelers clinched their first playoff berth since the 2017 season.
The playoff berth means Mike Tomlin will compete in the playoffs for the ninth time in 14 seasons as Steelers head coach. Tomlin, whose first season at the helm was 2007, missed the playoffs in 2009, 2012-13 and 2018-19.
The Steelers took on the Bills with backups manning several important positions on defense. Cam Sutton started at cornerback for Joe Haden, who missed the game due to a concussion he suffered in last week’s game against Washington. Avery Williamson and former safety Marcus Allen started at inside linebacker. Neither had started a game for the Steelers but started in place of Vince Williams and Robert Spillane (who initially replaced Devin Bush).
Williams was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last week, and Spillane was placed on injured reserve Saturday. He will be eligible to return for the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns if his knee is healed. As for Williams, he could be back next week to face Cincinnati but was going a bit stir crazy watching the game from home.
“Lungs feel like I smoked 8 packs of Newports 3 Black and Milds and a Russian Cream,” Williams tweeted Sunday morning, presumably feeling the effects of the virus.
But Williams was feeling better later in the day, tweeting throughout the game and even filming a brief video on Instagram Live.
“I’m feeling much better,” Williams said with a laugh about 40 minutes before kickoff. “I was down bad earlier today. I was down bad. I feel great now, though.”
Williams added he tried to get Bud Dupree to join him for a virtual game-watch. Rookie outside linebacker Alex Highsmith made his second career start in place of Dupree, whose season was ended against Baltimore when he suffered a knee injury.
The Steelers were healthier on offense to face the Bills, as running back James Conner and center Maurkice Pouncey, both of whom missed the past two games while being on the COVID-19 list, rejoined the starting lineup. But the offensive line took another hit in the first half when left guard Matt Feiler left the game with a shoulder injury and did not return.
McFarland inactive
Rookie running back Anthony McFarland was among the players the Steelers deactivated for the game.
It was only six days ago McFarland was the target on a pivotal fourth-and-1 call against Washington midway through the fourth quarter. McFarland did not make the catch, and Washington went down the field on the ensuing possession and kicked the winning field goal.
It was Conner, Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels handling the backfield duties against the Bills. The Steelers played Samuels 27 snaps against Washington compared to McFarland’s 11 snaps, and Samuels plays more on special teams.
It’s only the third time this season McFarland has been inactive for a game.
In addition to Haden and McFarland, the Steelers also deactivated quarterback Josh Dobbs, defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, offensive lineman Derwin Gray and tight end Kevin Rader.
The Bills deactivated quarterback Jake Fromm, running back T.J. Yeldon, tight end Tyler Kroft, defensive end Trent Murphy and safety Jaquan Johnson.
New sack kings
When defensive tackle Tyson Alualu notched a strip-sack of Bills quarterback Josh Allen midway through the second quarter, the Steelers didn’t recover, but they did make history.
Alualu gave them a sack in a 70th consecutive regular-season game, breaking a tie with Tampa Bay’s record set in 2003 for the most games in a row with at least one sack. Tomlin also was an assistant on that Buccaneers team, coaching the secondary under head coach Jon Gruden and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
The only way this streak would be better is if the Steelers had recorded a sack in their most recent postseason game, their home loss to Jacksonville in the 2017 playoffs. But now in 2020 they’ll get a chance to redeem themselves.
Roethlisberger down
For the first time in six games, Ben Roethlisberger touched the earth. With the ball in his hands, at least. The Steelers hadn’t allowed a sack since the first Ravens game in Week 8, a five-game streak that was the longest in the NFL since 2018 and longest in franchise history since sacks became an official stat in 1982. When linebacker Matt Milano and a stampede of Bills dropped Roethlisberger for a loss of 10 on third down to snuff the Steelers’ first possession of the second half, it was the first sack against the Steelers in 275 pass attempts.
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1. Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: December 13, 2020, 9:21 p.m.
