Jones took over and immediately led the Pittsburgh offense into the end zone with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant.
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With star receiver A.J. Green covered much of the game, Dalton completed touchdown passes to Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert and Jeremy Hill. Adrian Peterson, who was on the sideline late in the game with the Vikings trying to put it away, finished with 60 yards on 26 carries.
If you need 2 yards, I get it. But all Vick would have had to do was gain three inches.
The Steelers scored the first 15 points of the second half to take a 15-10 lead midway through the third quarter. With the game still up for grabs, Jones led Pittsburgh on three straight scoring drives to put them firmly in the lead. That was the sort of thing his teammates said he brought to the table – whether they truly expected it or not.
“I didn’t expect them to come out throwing the ball”, Arizona defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. My hat is off to him.
Arizona has posted 38.0 points per game and rebounded from a 24-22 loss to St. Louis with a 42-17 win over Detroit last week. Bryant caught six passes for 137 yards in his first action of the season. Bryant, active for the first time this season after being suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy and missing another with a knee injury, somersaulted across the goal line in joy while Jones was thrust into the air by guard David DeCastro.
Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer threw a pair of interceptions, but the Cards were disorganized and undisciplined throughout the day, falling to 4-2. “In practice I don’t get a whole lot of reps”. The spot on the Mike Vick run was marked as if the quarterback slid, which he did not, and was also bogus. But that’s not the point, Mike Tomlin said, and he’s told Brown as much.
Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals spent a couple days at the posh Greenbrier Resort in the West Virginia mountains last week believing it would better prepare them for Michael Vick and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brees connected excellently with Ben Watson, who posted a career high of 127 yards receiving, including a fourth down touchdown catch.
Arians spent eight seasons in Pittsburgh, mostly as offensive coordinator, winning two Super Bowls before being exiled. We had a great week of preparation. “They just didn’t hand the ball left and right off the bat”.
“It’s hard to watch when you really want to be out there”, Roethlisberger said. His first touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant was on the money and he continued to make sharp reads against the blitz and whatever Arizona threw at him. The Steelers have the home field advantage today.
All the 26-year-old did was complete 8-of-12 for 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while compiling a 149.3 rating to rally the Steelers to a win in which few would have given them a chance without Ben Roethlisberger.
A post-play personal foul penalty on Bobby Massie moved the Cardinals out of field goal range on their first possession, and instead Arizona chose to punt.
LT Kelvin Beachum’s knee injury also looks pretty serious.
It was meant as a courtesy to the media milling around the locker room at Heinz Field: The biggest surprise on an afternoon full of them was down the hall and about to talk.
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Special teams contributors Chris Clemons (hamstring) and Kenny Demens (torn ACL) were placed on season-ending injured reserve this week, while linebacker Alex Okafor will sit out two to four weeks with a strained calf. When the Cardinals needed a stop in third down, it was the Pittsburgh running game that was there to get a first down.
