PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger didn't want to use the word "crossroads." He did anyway.
His team mired in a three-game losing streak and with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on the other sideline Sunday -- a sight that typically signals doom for Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers -- the longtime quarterback understood his team's enigmatic season had reached a tipping point.
"Are we going to step up and play? Are we going to divide each other? Who knows?" Roethlisberger said after a taut 17-10 victory. "This was going to be a great challenge for us against a team that is always one of the best. I thought we answered the bell today."
Rookie running back Jaylen Samuels ran for a season-high 142 yards in his second NFL start. The defense that looked so vulnerable in the late going during Pittsburgh's recent slide figured out a way to slow Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Embattled kicker Chris Boswell hit a critical 48-yard field goal in the final minutes, and the Steelers (8-5-1) gave their playoff hopes a welcome jolt.
"I knew it was a big game, it was a redemption game for last year," said Samuels, a senior at North Carolina State last fall when Pittsburgh collapsed late in a loss to the Patriots. "I just wanted to go out there and give them my all."
Forced into action with James Conner missing his second consecutive game due to a sprained left ankle, Samuels said he's never been a feature back. The fifth-round pick considered a bit of a project certainly looked like a featured back against New England (9-5). He ran 19 times and caught 2 passes for 30 yards, including a leaping 20-yard grab on third-and-9 on Pittsburgh's penultimate possession that helped set up Boswell's field goal.
"I was just staying relaxed, didn't want to stay too tensed up," Samuels said. "Just do what I do. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game ... it was a pretty good outcome."
One that helped Pittsburgh preserve its half-game lead over Baltimore (8-6) in the AFC North with two weeks to go. It also exorcised some demons. The Steelers had dropped five in a row to New England and had only beaten Brady twice in his storied career. Despite never trailing, their third victory over him wasn't assured until Morgan Burnett knocked down Brady's heave to the end zone intended for Julian Edelman with 20 seconds to go.
New England 7 0 3 0 -- 10
Pittsburgh 7 7 0 3 -- 17
First Quarter
Pit--McDonald 5 pass from Roethlisberger (Boswell kick), 8:40.
NE--Hogan 63 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick), 6:48.
Second Quarter
Pit--A.Brown 17 pass from Roethlisberger (Boswell kick), 12:01.
Third Quarter
NE--FG Gostkowski 33, :17.
Fourth Quarter
Pit--FG Boswell 48, 2:30.
Attendance--65,280.
NE Pit
First downs 18 24
Total Net Yards 368 376
Rushes-yards 19-96 25-158
Passing 272 218
Punt Returns 0-0 0-0
Kickoff Returns 1-23 1-27
Interceptions Ret. 2-0 1-0
Comp-Att-Int 25-36-1 22-34-2
Sacked-Yards Lost 1-7 2-17
Punts 5-43.2 2-39.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 14-106 4-40
Time of Possession 29:11 30:49
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--New England, Michel 13-59, Burkhead 4-25, White 2-12. Pittsburgh, Samuels 19-142, Ridley 3-16, Switzer 1-3, Roethlisberger 2-(minus 3).
PASSING--New England, Brady 25-36-1-279. Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger 22-34-2-235.
RECEIVING--New England, Edelman 7-90, White 5-25, Patterson 3-20, Burkhead 3-18, Hogan 2-68, Gronkowski 2-21, Develin 2-18, Gordon 1-19. Pittsburgh, A.Brown 4-49, Smith-Schuster 4-40, Rogers 4-20, Washington 3-65, Samuels 2-30, McDonald 2-13, Switzer 2-9, James 1-9.
MISSED FIELD GOALS--Pittsburgh, Boswell 32.
Sports on 12/17/2018