In the end, one team had a superstar, while the other did not.
That was the actual difference between the Steelers’ win and loss against the Bills on Monday.
In this game, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen was able to wear the cape when necessary. It didn’t help that the Steelers turned the ball over a couple of times early, giving the Bills the lead.
However, when Allen accounts for four touchdowns, as he did in this game, the fact that the Steelers only lost 31-17 demonstrates some of their grit.
Especially when playing without standout outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
The Steelers played the Bills at Highmark Stadium without Watt last season, and the outcome was even more
lopsided than this one. They lost the game 38-3. And it wasn’t that close.
They punched and counterpunched the Bills throughout the game. Despite going behind 21-0, they altered their
strategy and reduced Buffalo’s lead to 24-17 with 10:32 remaining.
“We were going back-and-forth,” said Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. “We struggled to get anything going
early in the game. We started slowly. We began figuring things out in the second quarter. Before the half, we received
a score. We just lost our momentum. It is their home field. Their audience was an important element of that.”
The Steelers understood this would be the situation coming into the game. They knew the Buffalo crowd would be
riled up. And they knew the Bills could ride that tsunami of emotion to an early lead if they allowed it.
