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Steelers sting ’Skins, Griffin
Photo
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) catches the ball in front of Redskins defensive back Cedric Griffin (20) during the second quarter of Sunday’s NFL game in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, sporting throwback jerseys from the 1930s, won downed Washington, 27-12.
Pittsburgh scores on first four possessions
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
The Pittsburgh Steelers watched opponents panic when preparing for Robert Griffin III and vowed not to suffer the same identity crisis.
“We didn’t want to get too creative,” defensive end Brett Keisel said. “We just wanted to play the way we know how.”
Besides, why mess with a good thing?
Wearing throwback jerseys that made them resemble hulking bumblebees, the Steelers swarmed Washington’s precocious star in a 27-12 victory on Sunday.
Griffin completed just 16 of 34 passes for 177 yards and a score while managing 8 yards rushing, finding little room to showcase his brilliance against a unit used to having its way when a youngster is calling plays in the other huddle.
The Steelers (4-3) improved to 14-1 against rookie quarterbacks since 2004, doing to Griffin what they’ve done to the likes of Eli Manning and Joe Flacco.
“It is very frustrating,” Griffin said. “You want to go out, be successful, execute plays and have everything work for you and then when you have a day like today when you have almost nothing work for you.”
Griffin got little help from his receivers. The Redskins (3-5) dropped 10 passes and the Steelers kept the NFL’s top rushing team under wraps despite playing without injured safety Troy Polamalu.
Washington ran for a season-low 86 yards while Griffin’s longest run came on a seven-yard sprint in the first quarter.
“He wasn’t running all over the place,” Pittsburgh linebacker Larry Foote said. “The front seven got challenged by (Steelers coach) Mike (Tomlin) all week and they delivered.”
Ben Roethlisberger had no such issues against Washington’s depleted defense, throwing for 222 yards and three touchdowns as the Steelers won consecutive games for the first time this season.
“It’s fun having so many weapons and being able to throw to anybody,” said Roethlisberger, who spread 24 completions to nine different receivers.
Jonathan Dwyer added 107 yards rushing in his second NFL start while Heath Miller caught four passes for 46 yards and his sixth touchdown of the season. Pittsburgh scored on its first four possessions to take control early and had little trouble moving above .500.
Suddenly, the team that looked sluggish during early losses to Oakland and Tennessee appears to be its normal, dangerous self in a wide-open AFC.
“This is our story and we’re writing it,” Foote said.
Roethlisberger continued to thrive in new offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s system while Dwyer, starting in place of injured Rashard Mendenhall, became the first Steelers running back to top 100 yards in consecutive games in four years.
Nicknamed “the minivan” by former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, Dwyer ripped off a series of runs through gaping holes that kept the Redskins off-balance.
“I was just going off of how (the offensive line) was playing,” Dwyer said. “They were playing physical so I brought my physicality to the game as well.”