Steelers 28 - Lions 20 - Lets' Look Inside The Numbers

They say "statistics don't lie" and if you only look at the 28-20 score in the Steelers victory over the Lions you wouldn't see how much they really do say. With the win the Steelers go to 3-2 and pull within one game of the division leading Bengals. The Lions, on the other hand , drop to 1-4 and trail the Vikings by four.

These teams seem to be on opposite tracks. One advancing in their division and the other going in the wrong direction. The Lions lost every game a year ago and only have one win this season. But, if we look inside the stats for this game, were they really that far apart?

Let's take a look at the statistics for the offenses and see what they tell us. Total net yards goes to Pittsburgh with 344 to the Lions 335. With only nine yards difference, the final score was bound to be close. The rushing yardage for both teams wasn't very impressive. The Lions out gained the Steelers 110 to 82. But, the Steelers scored a rushing touchdown and the Lions didn't.

If you just looked at the gross passing yards, you would have to give a slight edge to the Lions because they had 282 to the Pittsburgh Steelers 277. The fact is that after subtracting lost yards for sacks, the Steelers came out ahead 262 - 225. The real difference in the passing game was that Roethlisberger passed for 3 touchdowns and Culpepper had only 1.

The Detroit Lions led in time of possession 32:35 to 27:25, first downs 21 to 18 and third down efficiency 61% to 38%. But, The Steelers led where it counted. In the "Red Zone". Where they were 3 for 3 with 21 points and the Lions came away empty the only time they were in the "Red Zone".

Defensively, the Steelers had not allowed any team to gain 3oo yards this season until Detroit posted 335. There were two defensive categories that made a difference in the outcome of this game. First, the Steelers sacked Culpepper seven times resulting in 57 yards lost as opposed to the Lions sacking Ben 3 times for -15 yards. Second, both quarterbacks threw an interception, but Roethlisberger's resulted in a touchdown for Detroit.

As we examine this game farther, the inability of the Lions to penetrate the "Red Zone" ultimately caused them to lose the game. They had to settle for field goals three times, only had one offensive touchdown and their other touchdown came from a fumble return by the special teams.

In conclusion, the Steelers played good for three quarters, but this is a team they should have put away early. They have not played well in the fourth quarter and a late drive by Detroit made the game closer than it should have been. They have been outscored in the last quarter in every game this year. With Cleveland up next, let's hope this trend doesn't continue. View Steelers Lions week 5 Video Highlights.