PERFECT SEASON COMES TO END
The Pittsburgh Steelers spent three months shaking off whatever 2020 threw at them. Schedule changes. Injuries to a handful of impact players. The ever-present threat of COVID-19.
Redskins 23, Steelers 17
Through the chaos, they kept winning. Sometimes pretty. Sometimes ugly. Sometimes a little of both in the same game. Through it all, they insisted they were well aware of their f laws, pointing out time and again the only thing perfect about them was their record. So much for that. Pittsburgh’s bid for an unbeaten season is over. Washington’s — yes, Washington’s — quest for an unlikely division title may just be starting.
Alex Smith threw for 296 yards and a touchdown, Dustin Hopkins kicked a tiebreaking 45-yard field goal with 2:04 remaining, and visiting Washing ton (5-7) rallied for a 23-17 victory on Monday in one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season.
“We’ve been down for such a long time and we’re trying to rebuild ourselves and build up,” first-year coach Ron Rivera said. “This is something we can build off of.”
The Steelers (11-1) missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth and dropped into a tie with defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City for the best record in the AFC with four weeks remaining. They squandered a 14-point lead.
“It stinks,” Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “Been a while since we lost a game. It’s not a good feeling.”
The Steelers were 10point favorites while facing a team that hadn’t won three straight since 2018 and hadn’t won in Pittsburgh since 1991. Washing ton won the Super Bowl that season. The club’s expectations this year are far more modest. Yet a day after the New York Giants won at Seattle, Washington (5-7) kept pace while giving the lowly NFC East its second marquee victory in 25ish hours.
Bills 34, 49ers 24: At Glendale, Ariz., Josh Allen threw for 375 yards, tied a career high with four touchdown passes and Buffalo stayed in sole possession of first place in the AFC East with a victory over San Francisco (5-7).
Buffalo (9-3) moved a step closer to winning its division for the first time since 1995 thanks to a nearly f lawless performance from Allen. The 24-year-old quarterback was stellar against the 49ers, completing 32 of 40 passes with no interceptions.
He threw touchdown passes to Cole Beasley, Dawson Knox, Isaiah McKenzie and Gabriel Davis as the Bills built a 17-7 halftime lead and controlled the majority of the second half.
The Bills are one game ahead of the Dolphins with four games left for both teams.