PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers keep insisting they can absorb the endless string of injuries to their most vital parts, that they have the depth necessary to push for a playoff spot no matter who is -- or isn't -- in the lineup.
Good thing, because they keep having to find out.
Pittsburgh escaped with a 38-35 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, winning it on Chris Boswell's 18-yard field goal with two seconds remaining. Yet even as Boswell's kick sailed through the uprights, franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was heading for an MRI on his injured left foot, the outcome of which might determine the fate of his team's increasingly star-crossed season.
Pittsburgh (5-4) survived for an afternoon at least, overcoming a late rally by the Raiders behind another steady performance in relief by backup Landry Jones and a franchise-record day by wide receiver Antonio Brown, who set club marks with 17 catches for 284 yards, including a 57-yard sprint on the final drive that set up Boswell's winner.
"I really don't know what to say but 'Wow,'" said Oakland safety Charles Woodson, who spent most of the day futilely chasing Brown around Heinz Field.
The Steelers were left at a loss themselves. The sight of your unquestioned leader hopping off the field midway through the fourth quarter will do that. Roethlisberger was in the midst of a spectacular second half when Oakland defensive end Aldon Smith landed on Roethlisberger's foot during a sack.
Roethlisberger laid on the turf for several minutes then gingerly made his way to the sideline, careful not to put any pressure on the same leg that forced him to miss a month earlier in the year with a sprained left knee. He was taken to the trainer's room on a cart then whisked away for further evaluation, his locker empty by the time his teammates piled in after nearly four exhausting hours.
The Steelers are already without running back Le'Veon Bell, center Maurkice Pouncey and starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum. Those losses they may be able to survive. Roethlisberger, however, is another matter.
"I joke around with it," guard Ramon Foster said. "I say 'I don't know who [ticked] off the football gods, but they're definitely letting us have it this year with the injuries. We've got to stay the course."
Having Brown and DeAngelo Williams (Wynne) around should help. The two combined for 531 of Pittsburgh's 597 total yards. Williams, 32, filled in spectacularly for Bell, running for 170 yards and two scores and adding 55 yards receiving.
The Raiders (4-4) were trying to reach the halfway point with a winning record for the first time since 2001. Derek Carr nearly did it, throwing for 301 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. The second-year quarterback hit Michael Crabtree for a 38-yard score to wipe out a 14-point deficit and tie the game with 1:15 left.
Jones, who stepped in against Arizona three weeks ago to spark a second-half comeback, then found Brown over the middle and the All-Pro did the rest, spinning back toward the sideline before stepping out at the Oakland 15. Two runs by Williams brought the ball to the Raiders' 1 and Boswell atoned for an earlier miss by drilling his 11th field goal in 12 tries.
"It keeps us in it," Jones said. "If we can run the table and do some things I think we've got a shot."
It's a run the Steelers might have to do without Roethlisberger, who passed for 334 yards with two touchdowns and a pick during an afternoon in which he moved past Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana and into 13th on the NFL list for career yards passing.
PATRIOTS 27, REDSKINS 10 Julian Edelman and LeGarrette Blount scored touchdowns before the visiting Redskins ran their second play. Tom Brady completed 26 of 39 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns, including an 8-yarder to Edelman on the opening drive. New England (8-0) then pulled off a surprise onside kick, but that drive stalled when Edelman fumbled. Washington could manage only a single play: Kirk Cousins' pass that bounced off Pierre Garcon and was intercepted by Logan Ryan. New England then marched downfield to make it 14-0 on Blount's 5-yard score. Washington (3-5) managed 15 total yards in the first quarter, and the Patriots continued to pull away. New England has scored in 31 consecutive quarters -- every one this season except the first quarter of the first game. Blount carried 29 times for 129 yards for New England, which won easily even though Brady threw his second interception of the season. The Patriots also lost a fumble at home for the first time since 2013.
VIKINGS 21, RAMS 18, OT Adrian Peterson rushed for 125 yards on 29 carries, helping set up Blair Walsh's 40-yard field goal in overtime after Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater left with a concussion early in the fourth quarter. In a predictably grind-it-out game between similarly constructed teams, the host Vikings (6-2) ended Todd Gurley's streak of games with 125-plus yards rushing at four. Gurley gained 89 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts for the Rams (4-4), who received the overtime kickoff but went three-and-out. Marcus Sherels tiptoed along the sideline for a 26-yard return of Johnny Hekker's 63-yard punt, and Peterson ran the ball well into Walsh's range to give the Vikings their seventh consecutive victory at home. Greg Zuerlein made four field goals for the Rams, including a 53-yarder with 17 seconds left in regulation to make up for the 48-yarder that went wide right a few minutes before. Zuerlein had a career-long 61-yarder among three field goals in the second quarter, the first from 60-plus yards in the NFL in nearly two years. Zuerlein became the second kicker in NFL history with multiple field goals from 60-plus yards, joining Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski.
BILLS 33, DOLPHINS 17 Sammy Watkins had a career-best performance in leading the host Bills. He made eight catches for 168 yards and a 44-yard touchdown that broke open the game late in the third quarter. Rookie running back Karlos Williams scored twice and LeSean McCoy also scored on a 48-yard run. Buffalo (4-4), coming out of its bye week, won for the first time in four home games. The Dolphins (3-5) continued to regress. Coming off a 36-7 loss to New England, Miami has lost two consecutive since winning its first two games when interim coach Dan Campbell took over after Joe Philbin was fired. The Dolphins also are 0-4 against AFC East rivals. Lamar Miller scored twice on 1-yard runs. McCoy had 112 yards rushing before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury to his right shoulder.
49ERS 17, FALCONS 16 Blaine Gabbert threw a pair of second-quarter touchdown passes to Garrett Celek for the undermanned 49ers. The host 49ers (3-6) head into the bye on a winning note after a week of change. Making his first start in more than two years, Gabbert didn't take a sack behind an offensive line that has faced heavy scrutiny all year. Celek made TD catches of 1 and 11 yards to give him three on the year and San Francisco's stout defense flustered Matt Ryan despite the patchwork use of backups because of a rash of injuries. Gabbert threw an interception midway through the fourth quarter, giving Atlanta (6-3) another chance with 7:14 to go. After an incompletion, Ryan hit six consecutive throws, but eventually missed Julio Jones in the end zone and Atlanta kicked a field goal and fell just short.
JETS 28, JAGUARS 23 Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes while playing with a torn ligament in his left thumb, Chris Ivory ran for two scores and the host Jets took advantage of late mistakes by the Jaguars.
Brandon Marshall had a 20-yard TD catch after the Jets (5-3) recovered a muffed punt late in the fourth quarter, helping New York end a two-game skid in a messy performance by both sides. Blake Bortles threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns, including a 20-yard pass to Bryan Walters with 2:16 left to keep Jacksonville in it. But Marcus Williams came up with his second interception of the game on Jacksonville's next possession as the Jets sent the Jaguars (2-6) to their 13th consecutive road loss.
GIANTS 32, BUCCANEERS 18 Eli Manning threw for two touchdowns, helping the first-place New York Giants rebound from last week's debacle at New Orleans. Josh Brown booted four field goals for the visiting Giants (5-4), including fourth-quarter kicks of 53 and 44 yards that gave New York some breathing room after the Bucs (3-5) pulled within two points. Manning threw first-half TD passes of 8 yards to Reuben Randle and 4 yards to Shane Vereen. The Giants' defense, bolstered by the return of Jason Pierre-Paul, did its part by keeping the Jameis Winston-led Tampa Bay offense out of the end zone until the rookie scrambled 10 yards for a TD that made it 20-18 with 9:25 remaining. Winston's 2-point conversion pass to the rear of the end zone was caught out of bounds.
Sports on 11/09/2015