NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
USATSI
If you needed a reminder that the Steelers are among the best-coached teams in the NFL, you got it in the club’s Week 18 victory over the Ravens on Saturday. After surrendering the lead and allowing the Ravens to knot the game at seven with just over two minutes to play in the first half, Baltimore booted the ball back to Pittsburgh on the ensuing possession. The kickoff landed on the near sideline at the 5-yard line and that’s when return specialist Godwin Igwebuike made arguably the savviest play of the afternoon.
Instead of simply picking up the football and downing it at the five-yard line, the ball was close enough to the sideline that Igwebuike was able to go out of bounds before touching the ball and gaining possession. By rule, that triggered a penalty on Baltimore, which then moved the ball from the five-yard line to the Pittsburgh 40-yard line.
Ultimately, the Steelers were unable to cash in Igwebuike’s heads-up play with points as Mason Rudolph fumbled later in that drive, but it was a wise move nonetheless.
Pittsburgh wound up defeating the Ravens in this head-to-head on Saturday night, which puts them in position to clinch a playoff berth. Now, they’ll need either a Bills loss, a Jaguars loss or tie, or the Texans-Colts game on Saturday to end in a tie to punch their ticket and possibly continue to flash their special teams prowess in the postseason.
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/look-steelers-kick-returner-makes-one-of-the-smartest-special-teams-plays-youll-ever-see/
Author : Tyler Sullivan
Publish date : 2024-01-07 02:42:20
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
