PITTSBURGH – As if there were not enough signs that matters had spun way out of the control for the Pittsburgh Steelers by the middle of the third quarter on Sunday, there was the sight of Cam Heyward jawing in the face of Josh Allen.
Hey, Heyward’s frustration was plenty palatable. The Steelers saw an inspiring halftime lead dissipate into a nine-point deficit in a matter of minutes – an Aaron Rodgers fumble was returned for a touchdown, then Mason Rudolph came off the bench and threw a pick, then the Buffalo Bills struck for another touchdown on a gutsy fourth-down sequence – and it was pretty evident to anyone witnessing the swing at Acrisure Stadium that the home team was not equipped to rally from the mess.
On the fourth-and-2 gamble, Allen embarrassed Heyward and the rest of the Steelers D as he answered for a blitzing safety with a pump-fake that allowed him to step up and fire a bullet to a wide-open Keon Coleman in the back of the end zone.
Then came the flag. Heyward, the All-Pro defensive tackle and arguably one of the NFL’s most respected players, was penalized for taunting as he got in Allen’s face to deliver some intimate words. It was a continuation of back-and-forth banter that existed throughout the game.
This was not only a bad thing for the Steelers because it cost them 15 yards. It was bad because it stoked Allen’s fire even more.
“Maybe a little bit,” Allen said during the postgame news conference that followed Buffalo’s convincing 26-7 victory. “I love the competitiveness. He’s such a great player. Sometimes, you need fire like that to get you going.”
Of course, there are always too sides to any kerfuffle. And there was not a lot of love coming from Heyward. As Heyward explained it, he became infuriated because Allen kneed him in the stomach earlier in the game.
“We were jawing back and forth,” Heyward told reporters afterward. “As a quarterback, they’re protected but I’m not? It just pisses me off.”
Heyward said that he knew it was intentional because Allen said as much.
“He even said afterward, ‘I had to do something to get you off me,’ ” Heyward said.
In any event, Allen got the last word in the bigger picture of prevailing in a matchup dripping with urgency. On Buffalo’s next drive after the penalty, Allen ripped off an 11-yard run when he scrambled around left end. Then the NFL’s reigning MVP finished the drive with the type of power-run that is as much of his signature as anything. On a third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Allen blasted off right tackle. He was hit inside the 5-yard line, but it was merely a speed bump. He carried at least four Steelers defenders into the end zone with him.
Then came the celebration after the milestone score marked his 76th career rushing touchdown, which broke his tie with Cam Newton for the NFL record for the most by a quarterback. Allen flipped the football to running back Ty Johnson for the spike, then yelled and circled back to congratulate his offensive line – which included the two substitute tackles pressed into starting duty because of injuries.
It capped a drive – 15 plays, 83 yards, 8 minutes, 14 seconds – that epitomized Buffalo’s dominance. The Bills didn’t need a monster passing game this time from Allen, who passed for just 123 yards and with an early interception, posted a 75.1 efficiency rating.
“Found a way to win,” Allen said. “That’s all that matters.”
No need to apologize. The other high-profile quarterback in the game – the one who is no longer the quintessential X-factor that Allen is – had it much worse.
The details this time, though, offered another layer of satisfaction. By now, it’s no major surprise that Allen can often put his team on his back and will it to victory. Two weeks earlier, the Bills won a shootout against the Buccaneers when Allen broke NFL records by producing a combined six touchdowns. On Sunday, he passed for a touchdown and ran for a score for the 49th time of his career.
Yet the marker that seemed to impress him the most came as the Bills (8-4) rushed for 249 yards – more than any Steelers opponent at Acrisure Stadium. James Cook did the heavy lifting with 144 yards on 32 carries, while Ray Davis (9 rushes, 62 yards) and Allen (8 rushes, 38 yards) combined for 100.
“I heard we set a record for rushing yards in this stadium, which is so cool,” Allen said.
He went on to praise the coaching staff for a game plan that underscored quick passes to counter Pittsburgh’s edge rush and helped prep the backup tackles – Ryan Van Demark and Alec Anderson – who did much to plow open the holes. That Allen had two sub tackles and wasn’t sacked on Sunday, after being dropped eight times for sacks against Houston in Week 12, was also notable.
As Allen put it, “We were doing our jobs.”
For Allen, that typically involves the clutch run or pass when his team needs it the most. Sure, the deep passing game is a glaring deficiency. Yet if they keep the game close, the gritty Bills always have a chance because of Allen.
Especially when he’s just a bit angry.
Then again, maybe Allen and Heyward can just meet again in the playoffs.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell