The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ second takeaway during Sunday night’s game at the Buffalo Bills officially went down as a fumble forced by Mike Hilton and recovered by Cam Sutton.
But watch the replays as many times as you like: it’s still not totally clear what happened. Fumble? Interception?
Fumble? Interception? @Steelers ball! #HereWeGo
📺: #PITvsBUF on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/HRuNYznHDG pic.twitter.com/4M5tMkc8hz— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2020
Whatever it was, it was another forced turnover by the Steelers’ defense, one playing without a handful of starters, and it led to the first touchdown of the game.
Hilton and Marcus Allen tackled Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox as he hauled in a six-yard catch from Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen. Hilton knocked the ball loose, and as Knox dove after it, trying to cradle the ball before it hit the ground, the ball popped up. Sutton, starting in place of Joe Haden (concussion), was in the right place at the right time, lunging to grab it.
Big Ben threads it to @JamesWashington for the TD! #HereWeGo
📺: #PITvsBUF on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/HRuNYznHDG pic.twitter.com/GVPUQZV0Ii— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2020
Sutton’s recovery — his second forced turnover of the game after a first-quarter interception — gave the Steelers the ball in the Bills’ territory.
Three plays later, Ben Roethlisberger hit James Washington for a 19-yard touchdown to put the first points on the board and take a 7-0 lead with 8:26 to go in the second quarter.