Patriots hang on for dramatic 27-24 win over Steelers taken at Heinz Field (Patriots)

(Philip G. Pavely/USA TODAY Sports)

Patriots

Patriots hang on for dramatic 27-24 win over Steelers

By Christopher Price

Dec 17, 2017 • 2:51 pm

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PITTSBURGH -- The Patriots got a late turnover when Duron Harmon picked off a Ben Roethlisberger pass in the end zone with nine seconds left in regulation, securing a dramatic 27-24 win for New England Sunday and giving the Patriots the inside track on home-field advantage in the AFC playoff chase.

The pick put the capper on a dramatic finish, as the Patriots took a 27-24 lead with less than a minute to go on an 8-yard touchdown run from Dion Lewis. The Steelers then responded with a 69-yard pass play that got them into the New England red zone when Roethlisberger connected on a lightning bolt of a pass play to JuJu Smith-Schuster. But what look like an initial Pittsburgh touchdown two plays later was overruled, and on the ensuing play, a Roethelisberger pass was knocked away by Eric Rowe, and Harmon came down with the football. That ended the ball game,.

The Patriots move to 11-3, while the Steelers drop back to a similar 11-3 record. New England would hold the edge when it came down to playoff seeding, as the Patriots won the head-to-head meeting.

Tom Brady went 22-for-35 for 298 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Lewis had 13 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. And Rob Gronkowski had nine catches for 168 yards in his return from a one-game suspension.

On the other side of the ball, Roethlisberger was 22-for-30 for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Smith-Schuster had six catches for 114 yards, while Le’Veon Bell added 24 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown.

The two teams traded first-quarter touchdowns and second-quarter field goals. The Steelers then took command midway through the second with an absolutely epic 15-play drive — the longest of the season against the New England defense — that took 8:39 and ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Martavis Bryant with 25 seconds left to lift Pittsburgh to a 17-10 halftime lead.

The Patriots cut the lead to 17-16 on the first drive of the second half (Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point) on a 4-yard pass play from Brady to Brandin Cooks. New England got the ball back, but a bad ball from Brady ended up in the hands of Pittsburgh’s Vince Williams, and the Steelers made them pay, punching the ball in five plays later on a 3-yard run from Bell to make it 24-16. Gostkowski added a 46-yarder with 3:56 left in regulation to cut the lead to five. That set the stage for the wild finish, as the Patriots took the lead on the Lewis run and held on down the stretch.



Game updates from Price...

7:18 p.m.: Interception. Wow. Ballgame.

7:13 p.m.: That was fast. Two plays, 79 yards, 28 seconds, and the Steelers have the lead again. Holy moly.

7:12 pm.: Well, that was quite a turn of events. 69-yard gain for JuJu. Jordan Richards was like a statue there along the sideline.

7:10 p.m.: Yes. The Redemption of Rob Gronkowski. 56 seconds left, and New England is up 27-24.

7:08 p.m.: TD Lewis. Pats are back on top. Place is awfully quiet now.

7:07 p.m.: The Redemption of Rob Gronkowski?

7:06 p.m.: Shazier sitting in a box. Just showed him on the big board. Crowd goes wild.

7:04 p.m.: Two-minute warning. Pats on the move, down five. This game has pretty much lived up to expectations.

7:03 p.m.: How could you drop that?

7:00 p.m.: Big third-down stop there.

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6:55 p.m.: Patriots kicking it here -- 46-yarder is good. 24-19 with 3:56 left in regulation.

6:52 p.m.: Yeah, Rob Gronkowski earned every stitch on that penalty flag. DPI.

6:50 p.m.: Lewis helps pick up the first down.

6:46 p.m.: This feels like the first real big-boy regular-season game for the Patriots since last November against Seattle. Crowd going wild, loud opposing stadium. Steelers basically showing a Shazier highlight video on the big board.

6:41 p.m.: Brady is 18-for-27 for 223 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Roethlisberger is 18-for-24 for 200 yards with a pair of touchdown passes.

6:36 p.m.: Third-down defense remains an Achilles heel for this team, at least this afternoon.

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two


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Woof




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Time for the foosball....


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To get you ready for game time, here's a look at some of our best links of the week...






















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