ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF STORIES OFFERING SUGGESTIONS TO STEELERS FANS ABOUT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF FREE NFL GAME PASS.
The NFL will be offering complimentary access to NFL Game Pass to provide fans the opportunity to relive games and moments from seasons past.
NFL Game Pass offers an extensive library of football programming for fans, including access to regular season and postseason games; to previous years of NFL Films' series such as Hard Knocks and A Football Life; and exclusive NFL Game Pass Film Sessions with some of the league's star players and coaches.
To sign up for the complimentary access to NFL Game Pass, fans need to create an account on the web at NFL.com/GamePass, or via the NFL app across mobile and connected TV devices.
Today's suggestions for viewing past games are from the Steelers' 2017 and 2018 seasons:
OCT. 1, 2017: STEELERS 26, RAVENS 9
It was the weekend following a loss to the Bears in Chicago that began with the national anthem debacle, but the Steelers rebounded nicely with a dominating win in Baltimore over their AFC North rivals. The Steelers held a 19-0 lead at halftime, and after the Ravens closed to 19-9 with a couple of scores in the third quarter the defense stiffened and Baltimore's four final offensive series ended punt, interception, interception, turnover on downs. The Steelers rushed for 143 yards (4.1 average) and two touchdowns against the Ravens, with Le'Veon Bell leading the way with 144 yards on 35 carries and both scores. Ryan Shazier led the defense with 11 tackles, four passes defensed, and an interception; Cam Heyward had two sacks, one of which was a strip-sack that he recovered himself; and Mike Hilton added another interception.
OCT. 15, 2017: STEELERS 19, CHIEFS 13
This game was another bounce-back situation for the Steelers, who were coming off a 30-9 loss the previous Sunday to the Jaguars in Jacksonville. Against a Kansas City team that came into the game undefeated at 5-0, the 3-2 Steelers were dominant everywhere but the scoreboard. By the time the game ended, the Steelers had a decided advantage in rushing yards, 194-28; total net yards, 439-251; and a 13-minute edge in time of possession. Bell finished with 179 yards on 32 carries (5.5 average) and a touchdown, and Antonio Brown had eight catches for 155 yards, including a spectacular catch-and-run for 51 yards and a touchdown that iced the outcome. Vince Williams led the defense with five tackles and two sacks.
DEC. 17, 2017: PATRIOTS 27, STEELERS 24
This always will be remembered as the Jesse James game, the one where Al Riveron overturned a potential game-winning touchdown in the final minute by interpreting a rule that was interpreted completely differently by the time the Eagles defeated the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Watch the game for the way the Steelers got the better of the play along the line of scrimmage, with 143 rushing yards while holding New England to 77; for the way Ben Roethlisberger out-played Tom Brady, because if the call on the field of the James catch had been upheld, his statistics would've been 22-of-28 for 288 yards, with three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a rating of 136.5 vs. Brady's 22-of-35 for 298 yards, with one touchdown, one interception, and a rating of 87.6; and for the way the Patriots defensive backs closest to James on the decisive play never reacted as though it was anything but a catch for a touchdown and never lobbied for the call Riveron eventually gave their team.
NOV. 4, 2018: STEELERS 23, RAVENS 16
After opening the season with a tie in Cleveland that felt very much like a loss, the Steelers upped their record to 5-2-1 with this victory over the 4-5 Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens took a 3-0 lead, but the Steelers scored 20 of the game's next 23 points to take a 20-6 lead midway through the third period. Ben Roethlisberger completed 28-of-47 for 270 yards, with two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a rating of 89.8, while James Conner rushed for 107 yards on 24 carries and added another 56 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. But the play of the game might have been turned in by Josh Dobbs, who completed a 22-yard rope to JuJu Smith-Schuster to convert a second-and-20 from the Steelers 5-yard line with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter after Roethlisberger was forced from the game for a couple of plays.
DEC. 16, 2018: STEELERS 17, PATRIOTS 10
This was an evenly played game for the most part, with the outcome possibly being swayed by two categories: the Steelers were 4-of-9 on third downs (44.4 percent), while the Patriots were 3-of-10 (30 percent); and New England was penalized 14 times for 106 yards, while the Steelers were penalized four times for 40 yards. Joe Haden had as big game for the Steelers, with 11 tackles, two passes defensed, and the interception that iced the outcome.
DEC. 23, 2018: SAINTS 31, STEELERS 28
A win would've clinched a playoff spot for the Steelers, and they went toe-to-toe with the 13-2 Saints in maybe the toughest venue in the NFL for a visiting team, but just like a fourth-quarter turnover likely cost them a victory in the opener against the Browns, another fourth-quarter turnover ended their hopes for a comeback victory in the Superdome. The game showcased two of the league's top quarterback-receiver combinations. Ben Roethlisberger completed 33-of-50 for 380 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a rating of 108.7, while Antonio Brown caught 14 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. For the Saints, Drew Brees completed 27-of-39 for 326 yards, with one touchdown, no interceptions, and a rating of 103.2, while Michael Thomas caught 13 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. The game came down to the Steelers final possession. Trailing, 31-28, and on a first-and-10 from the New Orleans 42-yard line, Roethlisberger completed a 7-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, who lost a fumble at the 35-yard line with 32 seconds remaining to allow the Saints to end the game from victory formation.
NEXT: The 2019 season
