didn’t want to use the word “crossroads.” He did anyway.His team mired in a three-game losing streak and with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on the other sideline Sunday — a sight that typically signals doom for Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers — the longtime quarterback understood his team’s enigmatic season had reached a tipping point.“Are we going to step up and play? Are we going to divide each other? Who knows?” Roethlisberger said after a taut 17-10 victory. “This was going to be a great challenge for us against a team that is always one of the best. I thought we answered the bell today.”In so many ways.Rookie running back Jaylen Samuels ran for a season-high 142 yards in his second NFL start. The defense that looked so vulnerable in the late going during Pittsburgh’s recent slide figured out a way to slow Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Embattled kicker Chris Boswell drilled a critical 48-yard field goal in the final minutes Vance McDonald Jersey , and the Steelers (8-5-1) gave their playoff hopes a welcome jolt.“I knew it was a big game, it was a redemption game for last year,” said Samuels, a senior at North Carolina State last fall when Pittsburgh collapsed late in a loss to the Patriots. “I just wanted to go out there and give them my all.”Forced into action with James Conner missing his second straight game due to a sprained left ankle, Samuels said he’s never been a feature back. Funny, the fifth-round pick considered a bit of a project certainly looked like one against New England (9-5). Samuels ran 19 times and caught two passes for 30 yards, including a leaping 20-yard grab on third-and-9 on Pittsburgh’s penultimate possession that helped set up Boswell’s field goal.“I was just staying relaxed, didn’t want to stay too tensed up,” Samuels said. “Just do what I do. We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game … it was a pretty good outcome.”One that helped Pittsburgh preserve its half-game lead over Baltimore (8-6) in the AFC North with two weeks to go. It also exorcised some demons. The Steelers had dropped five straight to New England and only beaten Brady twice in his storied career. Despite never trailing, their third win over him wasn’t assured until Morgan Burnett knocked down Brady’s heave to the end zone intended for Julian Edelman with 20 seconds to go.“It’s a big win for us,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s that time of year. We need to win this football game.”Roethlisberger threw for 235 yards with two first-half touchdowns and two interceptions. Boswell, who has struggled so badly this season the team held open tryouts during the week in search of a possible replacement, atoned for a 32-yard miss in the third quarter by drilling a 48-yarder with 2:30 remaining that provided the final margin.“He’s our kicker from start to finish and I liked that way he came back and banged that next opportunity Mike Hilton Jersey , and that’s what this thing is about,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “You are going to be tested, we are going to be tested. Sometimes you are going to fail, but you better pass enough of them.”MISSED CHANCEA victory would have given the Patriots their 10th straight AFC East title. While they still have two shots at it while finishing the regular season at home, the road issues don’t appear to be going away. New England finished 3-5 away from Gillette Stadium, the first time the Patriots have a losing road record since 2009.“We haven’t played very well on the road,” Brady said. “Obviously what we’re doing isn’t good enough.”Brady finished 25 of 36 for 279 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Pittsburgh held tight end Gronkowski to two receptions for 21 yards. Brady flung a jump ball to Gronkowski deep in Pittsburgh territory midway through the fourth quarter that was picked off by cornerback Joe Haden, just Brady’s fifth pick in 14 games against the Steelers.“I was just trying to flick it out of bounds,” Brady said. “Didn’t want to take a sack. It shouldn’t have happened.”The uncharacteristically sloppy Patriots were flagged 14 times for 106 yards, including a handful of offensive holding calls that blunted momentum. The Patriots had a second-and-5 at the Pittsburgh 11 with 37 seconds to go when right guard Shaq Mason was hit with a holding penalty that pushed the ball back to the Pittsburgh 21. The Patriots would get no closer.“There’s holding on every play in the NFL,” Brady said. “It’s what we do, we hold. … If they’re calling it, we’ve got to do a little bit less of it.”HE SAID IT“Sometimes you got to cut your eyelids off when you want to blink when it gets thick Anthony Chickillo Jersey , and we talk openly about that.” Tomlin when talking about his team’s ability to deal with adversity.UP NEXTPatriots: Host Buffalo next Sunday. New England is unbeaten at home this season (6-0).Steelers: Visit New Orleans next Sunday. Pittsburgh’s last road victory against the Saints came in 1990. According to BetOnline, Smith-Schuster is tied for the fifth best chance from all NFL receivers to accumulate the most yards" Latest NewsJuJu Smith-Schuster currently 10-to-1 odds to lead the NFL in receiving yards in 2019New,1commentAccording to BetOnline, Smith-Schuster is tied for the fifth best chance from all NFL receivers to accumulate the most yardsEDTAs the 2019 regular season approaches, a wide variety of betting odds are available for those wishing to place a wager for the upcoming season. Super Bowl champions, win totals, yardage leaders, playoff teams, and Week 1 games against the spread are just a few of the categories odds makers have determined. While not everyone is interested in placing their hard-earned cash on the line, many football fans do look at the odds in order get a better grip on how certain players or teams are expected to perform in the upcoming season.With JuJu Smith-Schuster taking over the number one receiver role for the Steelers in 2019, he isPittsburgh’s greatest possibility to lead the league in receiving yards. Using the odds provided by BetOnline, Smith-Schuster is currently at a 10-to-1 chance to have the most regular season receiving yards, placing him tied for fifth on the list. Leading the way is the Atlanta Falcon’s Julio Jones currently at 6-to-1 followed by DeAndre Hopkins at 15-to-2.Here is a list of the top 15 players according to BetOnline:There are many interesting comparisons which can be drawn between several players on this list and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Here are a few to consider:<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="cwAgRL">Odell Beckham Jr.: The newest Cleveland Brown has the best chance of leading the NFL in receiving yards out of all the receivers in the AFC North. It’s unclear how Beckham will transfer his production he saw with the New York Giants. The biggest factor for Beckham may be going from a three-time Prowl Bowl and two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback to a second year player with only thirteen career starts. Beckham and Smith-Schuster will be on the same field twice in 2019.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="md4ffI">Tyreek Hill: Now that Hill isn’t looking at a suspension Rocky Bleier Jersey , his 2019 projected totals are a little more predictable. With Hill and JuJu both playing in the AFC and having identical odds, it speaks to the level of confidence the odds makers have in Smith-Schuster’s ability to take on the number one receiver role. Hill was All Pro for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 and had 53 more receiving yard than JuJu (1,479 yards and 1,426 yards respectively) on 24 less receptions (87 receptions to 111 receptions). Placing Hill and Smith-Schuster on equal ground should be a welcomed site to Steelers’ fans if Hill can have a similar season to 2018.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="HVlK2b">Antonio Brown: The former number one receiver for the Steelers, Brown has less of a chance to lead the league in receiving yards than his former teammate. Already capturing the honor twice in his carrer (2014 and 2017), Brown’s placement on the list could be more of issue with the person throwing him the ball than it is with him catching it. Oakland Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr is currently at 35-to-1 odds to win the passing title while Ben Roethlisberger is at 8-to-1. It remains to be seen if Brown will help Carr elevate his game or if he’ll miss catching passes from a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="APBp1H">Even though he is projected to be one of the top receivers with a chance to put up the most yards in 2019, JuJu Smith-Schuster does have one major factor holding him back from achieving this award: it’s not his goal. Sure, leading the NFL in receiving yards for the season looks great on a player’s resume. But JuJu has already stated that winning games is more important than his personal statistics. And I, for one, take him at his word. While individual awards along the way are welcomed, JuJu Smith-Schuster needs to remain focused on the team goal of bringing home a seventh Lombardi Trophy back to the city of Pittsburgh.