ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Don’t think safety Jordan Poyer and other members of Buffalo’s secondary didn’t notice Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster dancing on the Bills logo at midfield during pregame warmups on Sunday night.
Come the fourth quarter, after Levi Wallace intercepted Ben Roethlisberger to essentially seal Buffalo’s 26-15 victory, it was the Bills’ turn to break out into a dance along their sideline.
“It was tight energy. The song playing. We felt the momentum of the game swing,” Poyer said, before noting a TikTok video of Smith-Schuster posted on social media.
“I ain’t going to lie, seeing them dancing on our logo pregame, that turns you up a little,” he added. “You come and play with a little extra fire. We were hyped up on the sideline. We had a big win and we were having fun.”
Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes, safety Taron Johnson returned an interception 51 yards for a score, and the Bills (10-3) inched closer to claiming their first AFC East title since 1995 and third playoff berth in four seasons. Buffalo can clinch both as early as Monday night if Baltimore loses to Cleveland.
Smith-Schuster and the Steelers weren’t asked about the dance — something the receiver does before most every game — afterward.
Then again, they have other concerns after dropping consecutive games in six days following a 23-17 loss to Washington, and falling a game behind the AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs (12-1).
The AFC North-leading Steelers (11-2) were still able to clinch their first playoff berth in three years before kickoff by virtue of the Miami Dolphins’ 33-27 loss to Kansas City earlier in the day.
“We’ve lost two. We’re facing some adversity. But we’re not hitting the panic button,” Roethlisberger said.
“Offensively we’re not very good. We’re not playing good football and it starts with me,” he added. “I think this is a team that has got a lot of resilience and understands what it takes to win football games and understands what time of year it is and right now it’s unacceptable.”
The Bills have won six of seven and have at least 10 of their first 13 games of a season for the first time since 1991. That’s a considerable switch from a team that had endured a 17-year playoff drought — which stood as longest active streak in North America’s four major professional sports — before coach Sean McDermott took over in 2017.
“Ten wins, the (job) is not finished,” Allen said. “We know what we have to do.”
The third-year player broke the game open by throwing touchdown passes 3:21 apart — a 19-yarder to Stefon Diggs and a 13-yarder to rookie Gabriel Davis — on the first two drives of the second half to put Buffalo ahead 23-7.
Buffalo’s second-half eruption came after Allen and the offence managed just six first downs and 102 yards on seven possessions.
Johnson, however, provided the offence by stepping in front of Roethlisberger’s pass intended for Smith-Schuster and returned it 51 yards to put Buffalo up 9-7 with 52 seconds remaining in the first half.
“Our defence stepped up big time, especially when we started out the way we did,” Allen said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that care about each other and we don’t want to let each other down. When we’re out there, we put it on the line for each other.”
Allen upped his season total to 35 combined touchdowns (28 passing, six rushing and one receiving) to break the team’s single-season record of 34 set by Hall of Famer Jim Kelly in 1991. His 28 TDs passing rank second most on the team list, and five behind the single-season record set by Kelly in ’91.
Allen finished 24 of 43 for 238 yards and an interception. Diggs had 10 catches for 130 yards. Acquired in a trade with Minnesota in March, Diggs now has 100 catches to match the Bills’ single-season record set by Eric Moulds in 2002.
The Steelers continue to resemble nothing of the team that set a franchise record by winning its first 11 games. Pittsburgh has been held under 20 points in three straight games, and was coming off a loss to Washington in which c oach Mike Tomlin called out his team’s sluggish running attack and receivers for their dropping passes.
The game was decided midway through the fourth quarter after Buffalo’s Tyler Bass hit a 23-yard field goal to put the Bills up 26-15.
On Pittsburgh’s third play from scrimmage, Roethlisberger’s deep pass up the right sideline intended for James Washington was intercepted by Wallace.
Roethlisberger finished 21 of 37 for 187 yards with touchdown passes to Washington and JuJu Smith-Schuster and two interceptions.
SACK STREAK
The Steelers extended their sack streak to a 70th consecutive game to break the NFL record set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1999 to 2003.
Tyson Alualu was credited with Pittsburgh’s first sack of the game against Buffalo by stripping the ball out of the hands of Bills quarterback Josh Allen midway through the second quarter. The fumble was recovered by Bills centre Mitch Morse for an 8-yard loss.
The streak began in Week 8 of the 2016 season.
INJURIES
Steelers: Starting LG Matt Feiler did not return after hurting his shoulder in the first quarter. Feiler’s replacement Kevin Dotson was ruled out after hurting his shoulder in the the third quarter.
Bills: Johnson did not return after sustaining a concussion in the third quarter. Morse missed several series in the first quarter after having a brace place on his left elbow.
UP NEXT
Steelers: Continue run of prime-time games in travelling to play Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 21.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
