The Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers both came into Sunday looking to ground and pound their opponent into the Bank of America Stadium turf. And one of them did exactly that.
Here’s everything we know from the Panthers’ bruising loss to the Steelers in Week 15.
Final score: Steelers 24, Panthers 16
Keys to the game
- The Steelers gave the Panthers a sour, sour taste of their own medicine. One half of that serving came from the Pittsburgh offense, which ran for 156 yards and three scores on 45 carries.
- The second half came courtesy of the Pittsburgh defense. After running for 408 yards on 92 carries in their previous two outings, the Panthers mustered up all of 21 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
- Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the Steelers’ aerial attack also came up clutch. They had a considerable hand in converting 12 of the offense’s 16 third-down tries.
It was over when . . .
Fittingly enough, a grind-it-out drive clinched the game for Pittsburgh.
After a 32-yard field goal from kicker Eddy Piñeiro closed the gap to 21-13, the Steelers began their final touch of the game at the 6:15 mark of the fourth quarter. From there, they knocked off five minutes and 11 more seconds of clock on a 43-yard trek—one that ended in a 50-yard field goal from Chris Boswell to give the visitors a 24-13 advantage with 1:04 left.
Players of the game
- WR DJ Moore: five receptions, 73 yards, one touchdown
- S Jeremy Chinn: 14 tackles, one pass defensed
- K Eddy Piñeiro: three-of-three on field goal attempts, one-of-one on extra point attempt
What's next?
Interim head coach Steve Wilks and the 5-9 Panthers will be staying in Charlotte, as they’re set to host the 7-7 Detroit Lions in Week 16.
