Defense Rises to the Occasion with Big Plays in Win

For the first few weeks of the season, the Steelers big play defense seemed to still be on summer vacation. Sunday though with the game on the line against the undefeated Vikings, it was that big play D that finally showed up, making two huge plays to secure the teams 27-17 win to move to 5-2.
to 5-2.

“It’s going to help our defense build a lot more confidence,” inside linebacker James Farrior said. “Hopefully, we can get back to how we used to play.”

The defense needed both the TD’s that they got in the fourth quarter, as they came with the Vikings driving towards what could have been the tying or go ahead score. The first made it 20-10, the second sealed the win to make it 27-17. Both came as the Vikings seemed to have had momentum, and the Steelers were on the ropes. Or were they?

The first score came when Brett Keisel got a strip on Brett Favre, and LB LaMarr Woodley picked it up and sprinted 77 yards for a score. The second came with the game on the line as the Vikings were at the Steelers 18 down just 20-17 with just over a minute left. A screen pass went off the hands of Chester Taylor and right to LB Keyaron Fox, who rumbled 82 yards for the score that sealed the huge win.

“I thought about running out of bounds and letting the offense run (the clock) out,” Fox said. “Then I said, I can’t turn down this opportunity to be the hero. So I took full advantage.”

As did the defense, which played a style of “bend but don’t break” Sunday. The Vikings had more yards, and owned the time of possession, but it was those key plays that put the nail in the Vikings coffin, which puts them at 6-1. “You put 14 points on the board defensively,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, “(and) you can overcome a lot of errors.”

The Steelers are now ready to take a week off with the bye, then go to Denver for another tough test. Now though, the defense showed they back, more so with the game is on the line with a play to be made.

Tags: Brett Keisel, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley