Pittsburgh, PA - A loss like this isn't supposed to happen. Not to a team that has gone to three straight AFC Championship games. Not to a team that has appeared in two Super Bowls in the past three seasons. And especially not to a coach who had lost just once against the home team's head coach over the past eight seasons.
But it happened, and now the New England Patriots' season is over following an incredible overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was over when:
Down 21-14 late in the fourth quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to score a game-tying touchdown. With 2:34 left in the game, there was still plenty of time for Tom Brady and the Patriots to march down the field and set up a touchdown or field goal. As always, New England's late-game heroics looked like they were in full effect.
The Patriots moved the ball 73 yards in seven plays, getting all the way down to the Steelers' 11-yard line and setting up kicker Stephen Gostkowski for a potential game-winning field goal. Gostkowski had been outstanding all season and was 2-for-2 in this game. Unfortunately for New England, that perfect night ended when his field goal attempt sailed wide right, keeping the game tied at 21-21.
In overtime, the Steelers won the coin toss and elected to receive. They began their drive from their own 25-yard line, and after five straight rushing plays by HB Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh moved the ball to its own 44-yard line.
Then it happened.
On the only pass of overtime, Ben Roethlisberger found WR Markus Wheaton on a screen pass. Wheaton took it down the sideline and went all the way in for the game-winning touchdown, sending the Steelers to the Divisional Round and ending the Patriots' season.
Game Ball
In his first playoff game, Le'Veon Bell was a huge reason the Steelers pulled off the win. Bell rushed for 144 yards on 18 attempts and delivered the game's longest run when he broke free for a 76-yard touchdown to tie the game late in the third quarter.
Key Stat
Year after year, the one weakness the Patriots have struggled with is their running game. They were able to get away with it last season, but this time, it proved costly.
New England finished with just 28 rushing yards in the game.
"You have to give them credit. Their defense was just on it tonight," Patriots head coach Sean Nguyen said.
When asked why the Patriots didn't run the ball more, Nguyen said, "We had a game plan, we stuck with it, and we just fell short of our goal."
Did you know?
- Steelers head coach Matt Bright had only one previous win against coach Nguyen. That win came all the way back in Week 12 of Season 2, when Bright was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
- This was only the second time the Patriots have played in a Wild Card game. They are now 0-2 in those games.
- This was the Steelers' first Wild Card win since Season 2, when they defeated the New York Jets. You can view the stats from that game here.
Up Next
A lot of questions will be asked as the Patriots enter their offseason. Will Tom Brady retire again? If so, who will replace him? Will coach Nguyen address the running game?
Those answers will come eventually. For now, the one thing that is certain is this loss will stay with New England all offseason, and Stephen Gostkowski's missed field goal will haunt him for a very long time.
The Steelers will celebrate this win tonight and put it behind them tomorrow. They will now head out on the road to take on the surprising team coming out of the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
