Lions' playoff hopes dealt a huge blow as their comeback vs. Steelers falls short in loss

The Detroit Lions aren’t officially eliminated from playoff contention, but it’s probably only a matter of time now.

The Lions have been on a great run the past two seasons, advancing to the NFC championship game in the 2023 season and then going 15-2 last season. That run fading fast after the Lions came up short in a 29-24 loss the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Detroit struggled to pick up first downs against a shorthanded Pittsburgh defense for three quarters, then its defense was unable to get a stop in the fourth quarter when the game was still in the balance. And when the Lions had a shot to steal a win in the final two minutes, trailing 29-24 after a missed field-goal attempt by Pittsburgh, a touchdown by Amon-Ra St. Brown was wiped out due to an offensive pass interference call and the offense couldn’t rebound to score after that.

On fourth-and-goal, which was the final play of the game, St. Brown caught a pass near the goal line and lateraled to quarterback Jared Goff for a touchdown, but the score didn’t stand. St. Brown was called for an offensive pass interference penalty on the play and the game was over. On the play, St. Brown ran straight into cornerback Jalen Ramsey, also extending his arm to create space, before coming back for the ball and it was called. Detroit fans will argue it shouldn’t have been called, and it wiped out what would have been a phenomenal touchdown for a Lions win.

Here’s the full sequence:

The Lions fell to 8-7 with the loss. Pittsburgh (9-6), who maintained its lead in the AFC North with the upset win, deserves credit. Its defense was without pass rushers T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig, and it shut down the Lions until a fourth-quarter rally. Running backs Jaylen Warren had two long touchdowns and Kenneth Gainwell had one on a phenomenal catch to give the offense what it needed. The Steelers are a cool story this season but Sunday was about a team that had Super Bowl dreams before the season falling even further out of the NFC’s playoff picture.

Detroit needs to win out against the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, and get a lot of help to make it back to the playoffs now. The Lions haven’t shown enough consistency all season to prove they’re worth a spot.

Steelers take control early

The Steelers kept the game low scoring early, which wasn’t the best news for the Lions. Both offenses struggled to get much going. The Steelers tied the game 10-10 at the end of the first half, but they needed a miraculous catch from Gainwell to do it. Gainwell ran a deep route, was brought down on a defensive pass interference by linebacker Alex Anzalone, but when he was on the ground the ball hit his right hand. Gainwell was able to gather the pass, and since he wasn’t touched after he made the catch, he got up and ran in for a touchdown with two seconds left in the half.

That play was most of the Steelers’ offense, but the Lions couldn’t really take advantage. The Lions were passing the ball OK but the run game was completely ineffective in the first half, and they scored just one touchdown before halftime.

The Steelers took the lead in the second half on a safety when Jared Goff was sacked in the end zone, then went on a long drive to kick a field goal and take a 15-10 lead. The Lions hardly had the ball in the third quarter. They ran three plays in the period and the Steelers ran 25. Detroit held the ball for just 51 seconds in the quarter.

That made it impossible for the Lions to get in a rhythm on offense, which had to be the Steelers’ goal.

Lions have a shot in final quarter

The third quarter got worse for the Lions.

The Steelers weren’t getting many big plays but the Lions couldn’t get off the field. Pittsburgh had drives of nine and 17 plays. They fumbled deep in Lions territory on the first drive but Detroit took a safety right after that. When Warren broke a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Lions trailed 22-10.

The Lions went for it on fourth-and-2 with less than nine minutes left, and Goff hit Kalif Raymond in stride for a 27-yard touchdown. That kept the Lions alive. But Warren had another 45-yard touchdown after that.

An injured Lions defense hasn’t been good enough to give the team a chance to make the playoffs this season. But Detroit still had a chance in the final two minutes.

The Steelers had another long drive but it stalled, and Chris Boswell’s 37-yard field-goal attempt missed when it clanged off the right upright. Detroit trailed by five points and needed a touchdown to win it.

A pass interference call on the Steelers on fourth down kept the drive alive. A tripping penalty on Pittsburgh gave the Lions 15 more yards. St. Brown picked up 24 yards on a quick screen to get the Lions to the 12-yard line. St. Brown scored a touchdown but it was called back on an offensive pass inference penalty on rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Detroit didn’t rally to score after that, despite what looked like a memorable touchdown on a lateral to Goff, and the Steelers escaped with a win.

The Steelers are closer to winning the AFC North after the win. And the Lions are closer to missing the postseason altogether.

Lions’ playoff hopes dealt a huge blow as their comeback vs. Steelers falls short in loss

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