CHRISTOPHER PANSINO – OVATHLETICS.COM
Halloween night in New Orleans was a night filled with people in costumes both on and off the field. The Saints fan set a new world record for biggest costume party and an un-Steelers like team showed up to play in the Superdome last night.
Drew Brees shredded the offense for two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to liven up a otherwise uneventful defensive struggle. Brees’ two touchdowns went for 16 yards to Marques Colston and 8 yards to Lance Moore.
Meanwhile the Steelers score only one touchdown, a 38-yard run by Rashard Mendenhall.
But the Steelers also had a touchdown called back by instant relay in the first half to limit them to only 10 points. The original play in the first quarter was overturned after it was show that the ball caught by Antwaan Randle El did not break the goal line. The ball was placed at the one-yard line where the Steelers failed to move the ball on three consecutive running plays.
This was the second time in consecutive weeks where the Steelers had a touchdown overturned by instant replay. The Miami win last week saw a late game quarterback touchdown overturned and ruled a fumble, but in bizarre twist of fate could not prove that Miami recover in the end zone allowing the Steelers to get the narrow victory.
Jeff Reed also missed a 51-yard field goal with less than two minutes in the first half. The missed field goal gave the Saints great field position, which they capitalized on by driving into field-goal position making the halftime score 3-3.
Reed had kick a 19-yarder to give them the early 3-0 lead.
But the Steelers kept giving the Saints opportunities to score in the second half. After Mendenhall touchdown run in the fourth quarter that narrow the game to 13-10, LaMarr Woodley was able to recover a fumble by Drew Brees on the Steelers 20 yard line.
But on the resulting drive the Steelers gave the ball right back as Heath Miller lost the ball after Roethlisberger hit him over the middle for a big gainer.
The Saints drove the ball on the resulting drive putting the game out of reach with under three minutes left in the game, 20-10.
This was the second loss for the Steelers this season and their first loss on the road. The loss also slipped them back into a tie in the AFC North with Baltimore.
