How One Call and One Play Tipped the Scales for the Steelers

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steelcityblitz.com

You’ve heard that games often come down to one play. In reality it’s always a handful of plays to be honest but in Buffalo today one play may have turned things around and led to a Pittsburgh Steelers’ victory.

The blocked punt you ask? That’s was pretty awesome but no.

That catch by Diontae Johnson in the corner of the end zone? Nope. An amazing play but not quite.

OK, it had to be T.J. Watt’s strip sack of Josh Allen then right? As sweet as that was to see, not quite.

The biggest play of the game was made by Cam Sutton who should give a tip of the hat to Buffalo Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll. Leading 10-6 early in the fourth quarter Daboll’s Bills faced a fourth and one at mid-field.

His QB Allen is one of the better QB sneakers in football and this seemed like a no-brainer for Daboll and Head Coach Sean McDermott. But as coordinators are apt to do, Daboll over-thought this one. Instead of just letting the 6’5” Allen plow ahead or maybe handing it to a running back, Daboll went for the big play.

Allen faked as though he were sneaking it, backed up and flipped the ball back and to his left. Steelers’ cornerback Cam Sutton read the play from the get-go tackling Matt Breida for a seven yard loss and turning it over to the offense. Four plays later the Steelers were in the end zone for the first time in 2021 and had a lead they would not relinquish.

There is no doubt that the well-respected Daboll is getting destroyed by Bills Mafia as I type and believe me, it’s deserved. It’s a classic case of trying to take a situation that requires an easy decision and making it more difficult because of overthinking. But we can’t short the play by Cam Sutton either.

He appeared to have outside contain there and if Breida gets past him it’s a first down and potentially much more. But that wasn’t the case. Sutton did his job and turned the entire tide of the game. As Steelers’ fans we’ve seen our own coordinators overthink things at times too so Daboll won’t get much sympathy from us. After all, a win is a win and you take it.

Feature image courtesy post-gazette.com

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