Rally falls short in Pittsburgh
Broncos’ backup QB Driskel nearly leads comeback after Lock’s exit
DENVER — If last year’s 0-4 start in Vic Fangio’s first season was a nightmare, then Sunday was a reiteration of that bad dream as the Broncos lost in Pittsburgh, 26-21, to fall into an 0-2 hole on the season.
Quarterback Drew Lock exited the game in the first quarter with a right shoulder injury and did not return. A late comeback attempt led by backup quarterback Jeff Driskel fell short. The result was a wire-to-wire Pittsburgh win at Heinz Field, that dropped Denver to 0-2 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1965-66.
The day started off with a positive sign as Lock found Courtland Sutton, making his 2020 debut, for a 20-yard completion on the game’s first offensive play. But that drive resulted in a punt, and on the Broncos’ next series, Lock was injured while scrambling out of the pocket.
Lock slipped while rolling out, then Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree jumped on him to force a fumble and the injury. Pittsburgh recovered the fumble, then scored a touchdown on the next drive to take a 7-0 lead via James Conner’s two-yard run.
The Broncos got on the board early in the second quarter via Brandon McManus’ 49-yard field goal to make it 7-3 as the offense attempted to find its rhythm under Driskel. The quarterback was under duress for much of the afternoon – including five sacks in the first half – and the Broncos only had running back Royce Freeman available as their emergency thirdstring quarterback.
Pittsburgh appeared to take control of the game midway through the second quarter with an 84-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to
Chase Claypool as the Steelers exposed the youth and inexperience of the Denver secondary, which was without No. 1 cornerback A.J. Bouye due to injury. Claypool burned rookie corner Michael Ojemudia on the play down the left sideline.
That big play made it 14-3 with 6:34 to play in the opening half, and the Broncos followed with a missed field goal by McManus from 58 yards. The Denver defense stood tall on the next series, forcing a three-and-out, but then Driskel’s pass went through Sutton’s hands and resulted in an interception and field goal to make it 17-3 at the half.
Denver came out with a bit more gusto in the third quarter, outscoring the Steelers 11-0 in the quarter to get back into the game. In his Broncos debut, Driskel did his part in the comeback attempt, as did the Denver defense.
Justin Simmons picked off Roethlisberger on Pittsburgh’s opening drive of the second half, the Broncos’ first turnover of the year and one that resulted in a McManus 28-yard field goal on the following drive to cut it to 17-6. Later in the third, Driskel found Noah Fant for a 20-yard touchdown as he beat linebacker Devin Bush and then hooked up with Fant again on the two-point conversion to make it 17-14.
Pittsburgh came right back with a touchdown on the next drive, a nine-play, 75-yard march that culminated in a 28-yard Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson. Up 24-14 early in the fourth, Pittsburgh was on the brink of putting the game out of reach, especially after Sam Martin’s fumbled snap on a punt attempt resulted in a safety and extended the Steelers’ lead to 26-14 with 10:01 left.
But defensive end Shelby Harris forced a Pittsburgh fumble on the next drive, and Driskel & Co. got the ball back near midfield and capitalized. Driskel found Melvin Gordon for a 16-yard touchdown with 7:43 to play, bringing the Broncos to within 26-21.
But just as Denver experienced during last season’s letdown start — and as in the loss to Tennessee in Week 1 — the Broncos couldn’t make the most critical plays late in the game. The Broncos marched to the Pittsburgh 16-yard line with under two minutes left, needing a touchdown to win. But Denver fell short on 3rd-and-2, with an incomplete pass, and then Driskel was sacked on 4th-and-2.
Pittsburgh then ran out the clock. The Steelers finished with seven sacks for 61 yards, and also had 19 quarterback hits.