As week two rolls in motion, there are teams who are getting a strong start. There are teams that seem to be stuck in neutral. Of course, it is very early to judge too much, but let’s take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from the week two matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle Seahawks vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Week Two
Pittsburgh Steelers Defense not Getting Backup
Especially in the first half of this game, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was very dominant. Keeping quarterback Russell Wilson off his game in the early going. However, for all the defense kept the Seattle Seahawks off of the field and from scoring. The Steeler offense didn’t put any points on the board until the second quarter.
Any team cannot rely solely on their defense no matter how good they are. By the end of the game, a defense gets tired and needs to have a cushion of support to keep the team winning. The defense needs to pace itself so it can stay dominant for the entire game.
Major Injury Scare
Just before halftime, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger came out of the game with pain in his elbow. At this moment we do not know the severity of the injury, but he did not return to play. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph came in and put up respectable numbers. Completing 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards, including two touchdowns and one interception on a missed 2 point conversion.
Now looking towards week 3, the Steelers will have to decide which quarterback to start. This won’t be known potentially until mid-week depending on the severity of the elbow injury to Roethlisberger. If a change in quarterback needs to happen, a change to the game plan will also be needed.
Boldness Wins in a Defensive Ending
All in all, this game was a pretty even match, ending with Seattle Seahawks winning only by two points 28-26. There are a few things that could be pointed at that would have changed the game. Obviously, if the Steelers made the two-point conversion that would have changed the fourth quarter at least making both teams vie for more points. But the biggest game-changer which ultimately won the game for the Seahawks was the decision to go for it on fourth and one with less than two minutes to go. Coach Pete Carroll showed great confidence in his offense to make a play that could have easily gone the other way and put the Steelers in a comfortable position to get to field goal range. However, the gamble paid off for the Seahawks.
Moving Forward to Week Three
What we can take away from both teams is that neither is going to roll over and play dead. Of course with the Seahawks 2-0 to the Steelers 0-2, the Seahawks are having an easier start. But both teams showed improvement from week one to week two and there is no reason not to believe this trend will continue. The only fly in that ointment is the question of Roethlisberger and who will be leading the Steelers as they move to week three.
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