ATLANTA -- A few thoughts on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 27-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
What it means: The Steelers finally took care of business against an NFC South team, and at just the right time, as their first victory in Atlanta since 1996 kept them in control of their own destiny in the AFC North. If the Steelers (9-5) win their final two games -- and both are at Heinz Field -- they will win their division and receive no worse than a No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. The Steelers, as they usually do against teams with losing records, made it more interesting than it needed to be after opening up leads of 13 and then 14 points. But the defense made enough stops and put a touchdown on the scoreboard. The Steelers were also able to win even though the Falcons held Le’Veon Bell to 47 yards on 20 carries.
Stock watch: Bell didn't find a whole lot of running room against a defense that had given up more total yards than any in the NFL. The second-year running back did rush for a pair of touchdowns against a Falcons defense that was determined not to let him beat them. Bell also caught five passes for 72 yards.
Flagging a bad flag: Jason Worilds -- and the Steelers by extension -- got jobbed by a roughing-the-passer call in the second quarter. Worilds obliterated Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan for what would have been the outside linebacker’s third sack of the season. But the jarring hit that left Ryan temporarily woozy drew a flag, even though Worilds did not hit the seventh-year veteran in the helmet or below the knees. The impact of the hit caused Ryan’s head to snap back and the penalty forced the Steelers’ defense to stay on the field. The Falcons were given a first down at the Steelers’ 21-yard line instead of facing a third-and-22 on their own 46. Three plays later, Ryan threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Devin Hester to cut the Steelers’ lead to 13-7.
Quite a hat trick: William Gay set a Steelers record when he returned a third interception for a touchdown this season. Gay again lived up to the “Big-play Willie Gay” moniker, jumping a deep in-route on the first play of the second quarter and weaving his way 38 yards for a touchdown. Gay’s score gave the Steelers a 13-0 lead, and it came after the Steelers had to settle for a pair of field goals despite dominating the first quarter. Gay previously returned interceptions for touchdowns this season in victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.
Game ball: Roethlisberger picked up where he left off last week in Cincinnati, playing another magnificent game on the road. Roethlisberger completed 27 of 35 passes for 360 yards and he did not throw an interception for the second consecutive game. Roethlisberger controlled the game from the outset and his 25-yard pass to tight end Heath Miller on third-and-1 with less than two minutes left in the game sealed the Steelers' win.
What’s next: The Steelers play their last two regular-season games at home, starting next Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. They close the regular season Dec. 28 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
