Emilee Chinn/Getty Images Diontae Johnson of the Pittsburgh Steelers fumbles the ball in overtime against the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field on November 14, 2021.
“Does either team want to win this game?” That’s the way Brooke Pryor of ESPN characterized Sunday’s Detroit Lions–Pittsburgh Steelers game at Heinz Field.
Does either team want to win this game? Asking for quite literally everyone.
As it turns out, the answer was no, as the game ended in a 16-16 tie—”a display of awful football by both teams,” per Jeff Risdon of USA Today—that left the Steelers at 5-3-1 and the Lions at 0-8-1.
This game finishes in a tie as fans boo at Heinz Field.
The Steelers are 5-3-1. The Lions are 0-8-1.
-end scene-
In other words, Detroit ended its losing streak, but the team’s 13-game winless streak rolls on, as per ESPN Lions reporter Eric Woodyard.
Welp, the #Lions won’t be going 0-17 after tying with the Steelers, 16-16, during a OT finish. The Lions haven’t won in Pittsburgh since 1955, but nearly pulled off an upset. Detroit is now 0-8-1. The Bengals-Eagles contest during Week 3 of last season was the NFL’s last tie.
It was the first tie in the NFL since September 27, 2020, when the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles played to a 23-23 draw.
“All you can do is shake your head after (Lions-Steelers),” tweeted the aforementioned Woodyard.
All you can do is shake your head after that one.
The overtime session alone was a comedy of errors, with Steelers receivers losing fumbles on two drives, and Pittsburgh’s other drive ending in a punt, thanks to rookie center Kendrick Green snapping the ball way over the head of backup quarterback Mason Rudolph on a shotgun snap.
Notably, the Lions had an excellent opportunity to win with 4:03 left in overtime, but Detroit placekicker Ryan Santoso was short on a 48-year field goal attempt.
Steelers-Lions ‘Like Kissing Your Siblings’
Of course, NFL Twitter wasn’t quite as diplomatic as Woodyard or other media types.
One fan said the game was akin to “kissing your siblings.”
Another said that both teams deserved to take the ‘L’ and “run steps for an entire practice as punishment.”
Several fans indicated that they would resort to stress eating, including this one:
Twitter user “That Blitz Guy” referred to the game as the “Trash Bowl of the Century.”
Trash Bowl of the Century. #Steelers
Another Twitter user messaged the Steelers’ official account asking if the team “would at least pay his bar tab” from Sunday afternoon?
Some thought that both teams ought to be relegated to a lesser professional football league. Namely the CFL, where former Steelers quarterback Devlin ‘Duck’ Hodges currently plies his trade for the last-place Ottawa Redblacks.
Another had a practical question of sorts, referencing whether the tie was good enough for him to move on in his survivor pool.
Not Quite as Bad From the Perspective of Lions Fans
Naturally, the outcome of Sunday afternoon’s contest wasn’t quite as unsightly from the perspective of long-suffering Detroit Lions fans.
One thanked the team for not losing on her birthday.
Another tweet was clever, saying, “That was definitely one of the games ever.”
Another playfully referenced the time the Lions finished 0-16 (2008), noting that the tie keeps them in the running for another 0-16 season, this in spite of the move to a 17-game schedule.
The Lions will get another chance to potentially move into the win column on Sunday November 21 at Cleveland. The Steelers also return to action next weekend, but on Sunday Night Football at the Los Angeles Chargers.
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