Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Takeaways vs. Lions in Week 8

On Sunday evening at Ford Field, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Detroit Lions. What did we take away from this interconference showdown?

It’s a team that has made its share of headlines off the field this year. No, we aren’t talking about major issues. Just annoying little things like your designated franchise player not being available for training camp. Or how about a wide receiver so upset about a missed opportunity that he tossed a water cooler. Or another wide receiver upset about playing time and calling out a teammate? And who the hell took Juju’s bicycle?

Through eight weeks of 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 and two games ahead of the Baltimore Ravens (4-4) in the AFC North. They own a 3-0 record within the division, which includes road wins over the Browns and Ravens. They are off this weekend and when they return to action in Week 10, they pay the Indianapolis Colts a visit. Regardless of what happens against the Colts, Mike Tomlin’s club will play five of its final seven games at Heinz Field.

On Sunday night in the Motor City (and the site of the Steelers’ 21-10 win over the Seahawks in Super Bowl LI), Pittsburgh got just enough offense from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and company and a lot of red zone defense from Keith Butler’s unit to secure a 20-15 victory. It raised the club’s road mark to 4-1 this season and was the team’s third consecutive win away from home. It was far from pretty but in its own way impressive. So what did we take away from the club’s latest triumph?

Next: No. 3