The Sports Network
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Shaun Suisham buried a 23-yard field goal
less than a minute into overtime, as the Pittsburgh Steelers survived a scare
from the Kansas City Chiefs with a 16-13 victory on Monday night at Heinz
Field.
Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop sent the game into an extra session with a 46-yard
field goal as time expired in regulation before Kansas City got the first
possession of overtime.
It wouldn't last long however, as Matt Cassel was intercepted by Lawrence
Timmons on the second play from scrimmage.
Timmons returned the pick 23 yards to the Kansas City 5 and Suisham trotted
out on the next play for the game-winning field goal.
The victory came with a price for the Steelers (6-3), who lost starting
quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a right shoulder injury early in the second
half.
Roethlisberger, who finished 9-of-18 for 84 yards and a touchdown before the
injury, left the stadium to have his shoulder examined further according to
multiple reports.
Byron Leftwich replaced the nine-year veteran under center and completed 7-
of-14 passes for 73 yards, while Jonathan Dwyer finished with 56 yards on 19
carries to help the Steelers earn their fourth straight victory.
Cassel passed for 154 yards on 11-of-26 efficiency with one big interception.
Jamaal Charles carried the load with 100 yards and a score on 23 carries for
the Chiefs (1-8), who have lost six straight.
Kansas City, which hadn't held an in-game lead in any of its eight games this
season, grabbed an early 7-0 lead on Charles' 12-yard TD run on the Chiefs'
second possession of the game.
An Isaac Redman fumble late in the first gave the Chiefs excellent field
position at the Pittsburgh 10, but the Steelers' defense minimized the damage
and forced the visitors to settle for a 22-yard field from Succop to give the
Chiefs a 10-0 lead early in the second.
Succop kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set the Steelers up at
their own 40-yard line and Roethlisberger quickly moved his squad into Kansas
City territory with a pair of completions to tight end Heath Miller.
The Steelers would settle for a field goal however, as back-to-back
incompletions from Roethlisberger were followed by Suisham's 35-yard field
goal to bring the home team within 10-3 with nine minutes left in the first
half.
After a three-and-out from the Chiefs, Pittsburgh took over at midfield. Dwyer
kept the march alive with a 17-yard surge on 3rd-and-4 before Roethlisberger
scrambled for 14 yards on another 3rd-and-4 down to the Kansas City 7.
On the next play, Roethlisberger floated a pass into the back right corner of
the end zone for Mike Wallace, who tipped the ball, trapped it between his
legs and maintained full possession before rolling out of bounds for a 7-yard
touchdown catch to knot the game at 10-10 heading into the locker room.
Roethlisberger was injured on the third play from scrimmage of the second half
when he was sandwiched between a pair of Kansas City defenders on third down
and immediately headed to the locker room.
After a Pittsburgh punt, Kansas City appeared to score a go-ahead touchdown
when Dwayne Bowe took a wide receiver screen 22 yards into the end zone, but
Branden Albert was whistled for holding to nullify the score.
The Chiefs would come up empty on the drive, as Succop's 33-yard field goal
missed wide right to keep the game locked at 10-10.
The visitors had another touchdown wiped away on Pittsburgh's ensuing drive,
as Justin Houston picked up a Leftwich fumble and scampered 21 yards into the
end zone, but replay showed Leftwich's arm was coming forward, making the play
an incomplete pass.
Neither team managed much from there until Leftwich led the Steelers on an 11-
play, 73-yard march which was kept alive on two separate occasions thanks to
defensive penalties on the Chiefs.
The drive stalled at the Kansas City 13 and the Steelers settled for a 31-yard
field goal from Suisham to grab their first lead of the game, 13-10.
Pittsburgh then held the Chiefs without a first down until the final drive of
regulation when Cassel found Tony Moeaki for a pair of first downs to move the
Chiefs to midfield
Cassel appeared to convert a third first down with a 12-yard toss to Moeaki,
but the tight end was whistled for offensive pass interference.
After an incompletion set up a 4th-and-15 with 22 seconds left, Cassel fired a
a strike to Bowe for 27 yards to the Pittsburgh 28, setting up Succop's game-
tying field goal.
Game Notes
The Steelers have won 15 straight home games on Monday Night Football ... The
last time Pittsburgh lost to Kansas City at home was 1986 ... The Chiefs were
the first team since the 1929 Buffalo Bisons to fail to hold a lead at any
point during regulation through seven games ... Bowe finished with four
catches for 55 yards.
The Sports Network