Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger came up with brilliant performances to ensure a convincing 37-27 win for the Pittsburgh Steelers against a fighting Detroit Lions at Heinz Field on Sunday.

While Brown provided two quick touchdowns earlier in the game, it was the dangerous-looking Roethlisberger’s fourth touchdown pass toward the close of the fourth quarter that sealed the issue in favor of Pittsburgh with 2:29 left.

Although the Steelers looked more formidable in their offense, the Lions bounced back at several stages, and even threatened to run away with the lead at one point, before meekly surrendering in the closing phase of the game. In the end, it was Pittsburgh’s aggression that made the difference between the two teams.

Stafford and Johnson Strong

Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson played extremely well, but it was quite unfortunate that both of them could not find able support from the other teammates to put the Steelers on the back-foot. Stafford passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns, and along with an interception went on to replace Bobby Layne as the Lions’ new record holder for career passing yards.

However, both Stafford and Johnson were limited by Pittsburgh during the second half, with the former restricted to only 3 of the 16 passes, even as Johnson was made to look a silent spectator for most of the time.

The Steelers deserve a pat or two on their back for combining well to come up with an impressive offense – something that they haven’t managed for quite some time now – in the second half, after conceding 27 points in the first half. As a result, Detroit remained clueless, unable to break in and add to their tally.

For Big Ben, it turned out to be a game to remember as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback had gone in to play amid reports that the franchise expected him to make a more “cerebral” approach on the field. By producing an aggressive game that ensured Pittsburgh to remain in the forefront for most part of the game, Roethlisberger made sure that the allegations leveled against him were well met.

“It feels awesome to win it the way he did,” an elated Roethlisberger said soon after his team emerged victorious.

Botched Goal

The Lions need to be complimented for trying to stay ahead after entering the fourth quarter. In fact, Detroit got a golden opportunity to move forward. However, instead of having David Akers try a short field goal, the Lions decided to botch a fake goal. With Detroit rookie Sam Martin fumbling at the crucial moment, the Steelers made use of the chance to recover.

A disappointed Stafford, who was undoubtedly the star for the losers, said when it mattered the most his team failed to rise to the occasion. “We just don’t execute. That’s what it boils down to,”, Stafford said.

Pittsburgh were able to thwart the attempts of Detroit without much difficulty as the former made plays to stop their opponents. “We knew they’d make plays and get yards. We just wanted to make plays and stop them when it counted and we were able to do that,” the Steelers safety Ryan Clark observed.