Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers placed the franchise tag on Dupree on March 16 after the former first-round pick had a career season in 2019.  

Dupree set personal bests in sacks (11.5), total tackles (68), tackles for loss (16), quarterback hits (17), forced fumbles (4) and fumble recoveries (2). 

He tied for fifth in the NFL in both tackles for loss and forced fumbles, and was tied for ninth in the league in sacks. 

"I took my game to a different level," Dupree said. 

Dupree has 31.5 sacks in 70 games since the Steelers selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

The 39-year-old quarterback stated earlier this month that he would not discuss retirement until the end of this season.

Roethlisberger is reported to have told former team-mates and people within the franchise that he expects to bring his illustrious career to an end when the campaign is over.

The Steelers great, a winner of two Super Bowls, on Thursday refused to confirm he will quit, but gave a strong indication his playing days are almost over as Pittsburgh strive to sneak into the playoffs.

He said: "I don't ever speak in definites or guarantees, that's not what I've ever done or who I am. But, looking at the bigger picture, I would say that all signs are pointing to this could be it.

"Regular season that is, I know we still have a chance to potentially get a playoff game there if things fall our way and we take care of business and things have to happen.

"But, in the grand scheme of things, in terms of regular seasons, signs are pointing that way this could be it."

He added: "I'll address the definite answer for that at some point down the road. But like I said, my focus is winning this game.

"If it is indeed my last regular-season game here, it's going to be one of the most important games of my career. I've been so blessed to play in front of the best fans in all of sports at the best venue, and what better way to have a last potential regular-season game than Monday Night Football against a division opponent.

"It's just special. So, the long-winded answer is I got a lot of focus on still for this year and this game, and that's got to be it right now."

The six-time Pro Bowler has spent an incredible 18 years with the Steelers and has 163 career wins to his name, a record in the NFL for players who have spent their entire career with one team.

Tom Brady is the only quarterback to have won more games with a single franchise, racking up 219 victories for the New England Patriots.

Roethlisberger has celebrated 91 victories at Heinz Field, 82 more than the next best for a QB of nine recorded by Kordell Stewart since the stadium opened in 2001.

Shazier suffered a spinal contusion in a head-on tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals in December 2017, an injury that required surgery to secure and repair the spine.

The two-time Pro Bowler was given a 20 per cent chance of ever walking again, but rehabilitation had him on his feet by the following April when he announced Terrell Edmunds as the 28th pick in the NFL Draft.

Shazier was placed on the reserve/PUP list for the 2018 and 2019 seasons and, although he had spoken of a desire to return to the field, the Steelers moved the player to their reserve/retired list in March.

Shazier confirmed he is now retired on Wednesday in an emotional video posted to his official social media accounts.

Appearing to fight back the tears, Shazier said: "I am here today to make sure the world knows how much I still love football, how grateful I am for everything football gave me.

"I am here today to let the world know that today I am officially retiring from the game I love so much.

"It's been over 1,000 days since I first got hurt. To lose the game in a way I never envisioned has not been easy. When you play the game of football the way I did, you convince yourself you are Superman, that nothing can stop you.

"Then, the moment I got hurt, I stopped being Superman and that was difficult to make sense.

"The way I look at it, God put us all here for a purpose. For 20 years, he let me play football, and now it's time for me to do what he wants me to do.

"I am going to step away from the game for a while and see what else life has to offer. I know football will always be here for me if I need it, but right now I am excited to explore some new challenges and different paths."

Shazier, a 15th overall pick out of Ohio State in 2014, ends his career with seven interceptions, seven forced fumbles, seven sacks and 299 tackles in 46 games.

Ohio State thanked Shazier for "everything" on their official Twitter account, while Steelers colleague TJ Watt paid tribute to a "remarkable team-mate and even better person".

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the deal, which was confirmed by Fitzpatrick's representatives, will pay him over $18.4million annually.

Fitzpatrick will receive $36million in guaranteed money at signing.

A first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2018, Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers a year later, having expressed dissatisfaction with his role on the Dolphins' defense.

Since then, he has established himself as one of the premier safeties in the NFL.

Fitzpatrick was named a first-team All-Pro in 2019 and 2020 and has 11 interceptions since the start of the 2019 campaign.

Only three safeties, Justin Simmons (14), Quandre Diggs (13) and Tyrann Mathieu (13) have registered more interceptions in that time.

He has also racked up 27 pass breakups, tied for seventh-most in the NFL, during that span.

Trubisky started well as the Steelers took a 14-13 half-time lead, completing eight of his first nine passes and adding a rushing touchdown.

But he completed just 11 of his subsequent 22 passes as Pittsburgh's offense stalled, with Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett and star running back Nick Chubb taking control.

The struggles of the Steelers' QB led to suggestions they could introduce rookie Kenny Pickett, but Tomlin insisted that was not in his thoughts after the loss.

"I'm not in that mindset, I'm interested in reviewing this tape, looking at the totality of it and figuring out how we collectively get better," Tomlin said.

"The answer to that question is definitively no." 

Asked about Trubisky's showing, Tomlin added: "I thought he made some plays, but we all collectively came up short. 

"That's how we measure performance. Winning is our business and we didn't handle business. So we don't break that apart and look for the feel-good.

"Credit to Cleveland, they did what was required for victory, you've got to acknowledge that. 

"If you can't slow down Chubb, you can't beat this group. We knew that and we didn't get it done, so we've got to own the outcome and we will."

Alongside Brissett and Chubb, Amari Cooper proved influential for Cleveland as he continued his strong form since arriving in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys.

The wide receiver made seven catches for 101 yards, his second straight 100-yard game, and teammate Brissett was delighted by his contribution.

"I mean he's been unbelievable," Brissett said. "He's one of the smartest, hardest-working players I've ever worked with, comes out here every week, every day working hard, putting in the work and it's just a pleasure to play with him. 

"I know that he wants to just continue to keep this going."

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski echoed those thoughts, adding: "I'm trying to find new ways to tell you guys how impressed I am with number two. I mean he's really, really smart. 

"He's a great teammate, runs every route imaginable... he's so versatile, he's such a big, physical receiver, he's trustworthy."

Pittsburgh moved to 3-3 on the year with a dramatic overtime triumph over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, with edge rusher Watt having a decisive say.

Watt was a constant thorn in the side of Seahawks backup quarterback Geno Smith, filling in for the injured Russell Wilson, and saved his biggest impact for overtime.

He sacked Smith for the first time in the extra period and did so again after the Steelers punted the ball back to Seattle, this time robbing him of possession in the process and giving Pittsburgh crucial field position deep in Seahawks territory.

That allowed Chris Boswell to hit a 37-yard game-winning field goal and clinch a 23-20 success.

Watt signed a four-year, $112million contract extension with $80m in guarantees back in September, a price Pittsburgh will be more than happy to pay if he maintains his stellar play.

"That's how he’s compensated," said head coach Mike Tomlin. "I don't think anyone is surprised by his ability to deliver in those moments."

His team-mate on the defensive front, Cameron Heyward, was certainly not shocked when Watt's pressure finally told in the most pivotal spot.

"I love the fourth quarter and the overtime by T.J.,” Heyward said. "All game, he was like, 'Man, I’m just not hitting home.' I told him it was going to come and just, 'Keep staying after it. You’re going to be great.'

"And when we needed it the most, he made his plays. What an emphatic play to end the game with a sack strip fumble. We needed it, and he's a hell of a player."

The Steelers became the 13th team to start a season 11-0 in the Super Bowl era after a scrappy win at Heinz Field.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 36 of 51 passes for 266 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Pittsburgh.

Depleted after a coronavirus outbreak, with star Lamar Jackson among those sidelined, Baltimore struggled, slipping to 6-5 and further behind their rivals, while they are also adrift of the Cleveland Browns (8-3) in the AFC North.

Taking Jackson's place, Robert Griffin III was seven of 12 for 33 yards and an interception, while he rushed for 68 yards before being replaced by Trace McSorley.

The win meant the Steelers swept the Ravens for just a second time in 12 seasons.

Rescheduled three times after a coronavirus outbreak at the Ravens, the Week 12 clash finally went ahead on Wednesday.

After early turnovers by both teams, it was fitting the opening score came via a pick six.

Joe Haden intercepted a Griffin pass and took it 14 yards to put the Steelers ahead.

Another mistake handed the Ravens a chance, though, after Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled, the error punished as Gus Edwards rushed in for a TD.

But neither team was able to get much going offensively, with the Steelers taking a 12-7 half-time lead following two Chris Boswell field goals.

The Ravens finished the first half with 11 net passing yards. Only the Denver Broncos (zero) against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday had fewer first-half passing yards in a game this season, as per NFL Research.

Pittsburgh extended their lead early in the fourth, Roethlisberger finding JuJu Smith-Schuster to complete a 12-play, 61-yard drive.

After replacing Griffin, McSorley combined with Marquise Brown for 70 yards with three minutes remaining to give the Ravens hope.

But Roethlisberger and James Washington combined for a crucial play for the Steelers to keep them unbeaten.

Steelers president Art Rooney II issued a statement on Wednesday indicating the team's desire to have Roethlisberger back for an 18th season with the franchise, adding that they will soon enter negotiations to adjust the longtime quarterback's contract. 

"Ben Roethlisberger and I met [Tuesday] morning and we had a productive meeting. We were able to discuss a lot of things that relate to where we are and where we want to go," Rooney stated.

"Ben assured me that he is committed to coming back to help us win, and I told Ben that we would like to have him back to win a championship. We both understand that the next step is to work out Ben's contract situation.

"We owe it to him to have a conversation about how he wants to end his career, and we intend to that."

Rooney's remarks come one day after Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, told NFL.com that the Steelers are open to his client's return on a renegotiated contract. The two-time Super Bowl champion carries a $41.25 million cap hit for 2021, the highest of any player, with the salary cap expected to decrease due to revenue lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As we've shared since the season ended, we are happy to creatively adjust his contract to help them build the best team possible," Tollner said. 

Roethlisberger turns 39 in March and has drawn widespread speculation about his future due to his advanced age and Pittsburgh's current lack of salary cap flexibility, as well as a decline in play during the second half of a 2020 season that ended with a disappointing home loss to the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card Playoff round.

Making a successful comeback from a career-threatening elbow injury that limited him to two games in 2019, Roethlisberger threw for 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions while producing a 103.0 passer rating through his first nine starts of last season – all Pittsburgh wins.

The six-time Pro Bowler was intercepted six times and had an 83.2 rating over his next six starts, however, as the Steelers went 3-3 and eventually dropped to the AFC's No. 3 playoff seed. 

Roethlisberger did set an NFL postseason record with 47 completions while throwing for 501 yards and four touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s lone playoff game, but was picked off four times as the Steelers were dealt a 48-37 loss to the rival Browns.

Shazier has spent the last two seasons on the reserve/physically unable to perform list after suffering a severe spinal injury in December 2017.

The 27-year-old linebacker and two-time Pro Bowler, however, will remain part of the Steelers organisation.

"Ryan's placement on the Reserve/Retired List serves as a matter of protocol to ensure his continued inclusion within our organisation moving forward in his professional career," said Steelers general manager/vice-president Kevin Colbert.

"Number one, Ryan continues to be a remarkable person and just an inspiration for the whole organisation, and really for the whole community, in terms of his perseverance, overcoming what he overcame," added Steelers president Art Rooney II.

"Ryan is going to make some decisions about his future at this point. I don't want to speak for him, but I think from our side of it we would be happy to have him continue to be a part of the Steelers organisation in some capacity. We would love to be able to do that. Ryan is at the point where he's making those kinds of decisions about his future.

"He has been told by a number of people in the organization [about us wanting him to continue to be a part of us], including me."

Watt, who tied an NFL season record with 22.5 sacks in 2021, will miss a minimum of four games, and NFL.com has reported the standout edge rusher is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

That timeline is still considered a positive development, as the Steelers initially feared Watt would require surgery after incurring the injury in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's 23-20 overtime win at defending AFC champion Cincinnati.

A surgical procedure would have kept Watt out for most, if not all of this season.

"We're probably in a lot better place than we were after the game and usually that's the case," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday when asked about Watt's injury.

Pittsburgh's defence will still be challenged to replace Watt, who joined Hall of Famer Reggie White as the only players in NFL history to record 13 or more sacks in four consecutive seasons with his brilliant 2021 campaign (though sacks did not become an official league statistic until 1982).

The three-time All-Pro's 72 sacks are the third most of any player through his first five NFL seasons, trailing only White and Watt's older brother, J.J.

"Those guys are not going to be T.J.," Tomlin said of Malik Reed and Jamir Jones, the two players likely to fill Watt's role until his return. "It's not realistic to think that they're going to be T.J. But we expect them to be varsity."

Reed, acquired from Denver just prior to the start of the season, did produce eight sacks while starting 13 games for the Broncos in 2020.

"Malik is a 700-plus snap defender the last two years. His resume speaks for itself," Tomlin remarked. "That's why we went out acquiring him. He's a very, very credible NFL player."

The Steelers will also rely heavily on fellow outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, who posted a career-high three sacks and forced a fumble against the Bengals.

Pittsburgh led the NFL with 55 sacks in 2021 and recorded seven in their Week 1 win, along with four interceptions of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

It was the second time this season that rookie Pickett has been put in the protocol, after also leaving a game against Tampa Bay in October.

Pickett was sacked by Roquan Smith on the Steelers' opening drive against the Ravens.

The 24-year-old left the field for concussion checks before being reintroduced for the Steelers' second drive. However, that drive marked the end of his involvement as he was then withdrawn.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin looked to explain the move to briefly bring Pickett back into the action but said he did not know "about the sequence or the details".

Speaking after the game, Tomlin said: "Kenny is being evaluated for concussion, he's in the protocol.

"I think when he became symptomatic he was pulled from the game and evaluated for concussion.

"I don't know about the sequence or the details regarding the sequence."

Mitch Trubisky took over from Pickett and completed 22 of 30 passes for 276 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, as the Steelers suffered a 16-14 defeat to slip to 5-8 for the season.

Trubisky also spoke about Pickett's blow to the head, saying: "I just kept asking him how he was feeling. He said he was feeling fine, and that was that."

Roethlisberger is gearing up for his 18th season with the Steelers after the 39-year-old agreed a new restructured contract in Pittsburgh, where he will make his first preseason appearance against the Detroit Lions.

The two-time Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowler is relishing the opportunity to work alongside new offensive coordinator Matt Canada and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan.

"We have a new system," Roethlisberger told reporters of the need to play against the Lions. "There's a new coach to player communication in terms of a new guy. The offense is different. He's up in the box as compared to on the field.

"There is a lot of newness. I think it's prudent to get as much time as I can under those circumstances."

"I would love to get as many reps as I can," said Roethlisberger. "It's been how many months since I've actually stepped on the football field to take a hit? I know it's preseason, but still just meaningful reps. With the newness of it I'd definitely like to get as much as I can.

"I guess it depends on how we're doing, how it feels. I really wanted to try and play last week because it was on the road and that would have been our first opportunity to play on the road and the situation, with circumstances like crowd noise and things like that before we go into a very hostile environment in week one. But coach, I couldn't talk him into it."

Roethlisberger helped Pittsburgh – who have one of the best defenses in the NFL – to an incredible 11-0 start last season.

But they ran out of steam badly down the stretch, losing four of their last five to finish 12-4 before a stunning 48-37 Wild Card playoff defeat to divisional rivals the Cleveland Browns.

Roethlisberger was coming back from a serious elbow injury which saw him miss all but two games of the 2019 campaign.

His play was steady but unspectacular, leading a Steelers offense that averaged 250.5 net passing yards per game, 15th best in the NFL.

Roethlisberger threw for 3,803 yards, 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games, with a 94.1 passer rating (19th among qualifying QBs).

At 9.65 yards per completion – the lowest rate in the league – the veteran was more of a game manager than the downfield threat of old.

Roethlisberger added: "The challenge of newness. I spent a lot of time at home, going over it, reading it, watching film. I was telling my wife the other night that I think maybe it's even better that there's some new stuff because it almost refocuses you in a way.

"If this was still the same stuff, I would probably go home and be like okay I'll watch the film and be ready to move on. But last night I watched the film, and I went back over everything again to refresh my mind. I think because it's different. I want to make sure that I'm not the reason that we struggle."

Roethlisberger's yards per attempt average of 6.3 was the lowest of his career across seasons in which he has played double-digit games – it was 5.7 in his two appearances in 2019.

He had 43 pass plays that went for 20 yards or more, tied for 17th, though yards after catch was clearly a massive contributor to those plays. Pittsburgh ranked eighth with 50.4 per cent of the Steelers' gross passing yardage made up by yards after the catch.

His passer rating of 81.0 on throws of at least 21 air yards was 18th among quarterbacks with 25 such attempts and he completed only 30.2 per cent of those attempts (22nd of 28 QBs with a minimum of 25 attempts).

"Some of the new concepts I'll have it and I'll go home and I'll look at it and I'm like wait, what is this guy…if you think about it on every pass play for instance, I have to know what five guys are doing. It's not just one guy or just what I'm doing," he continued.

"So, I have to know who the hot is and what each specific guy is doing so there'll be times that I know what maybe three of them are doing and will be like, 'Wait, what's this guy doing again.' I just have to just try and refresh in my mind."

The team announced the move late Saturday, and Mason Rudolph is expected to start in Roethlisberger's place. 

Roethlisberger landed on the COVID-19 list the same day another veteran quarterback, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, was activated after missing last week's game at the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Rudolph figures to have an easier assignment than Rodgers' backup Jordan Love did, with Pittsburgh (5-3) hosting the winless Lions (0-8) Sunday. 

The 26-year-old Steelers backup has not played this season but started one game last year and eight games as a rookie in 2019 after Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury. 

Roethlisberger, 39, said in a recent interview that he has received the coronavirus vaccine. He could return for Pittsburgh's November 21 game at the Los Angeles Chargers. 

Roethlisberger missed last week's clash with the Detroit Lions, which finished 16-16 after overtime, but the Steelers' director of communications Burt Lauten confirmed on Saturday that the 39-year-old will be back for Sunday's meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Steelers are 5-3-1 and second in the AFC North, though Roethlisberger's absence was felt against the Lions.

Mason Rudolph started in his place, but missed a glut of opportunities to deliver touchdown passes, including a late throw into the dirt that should have put Ray-Ray McCloud into the endzone.

Rudolph threw for, 242 yards, one touchdown, one interception and registered a completion percentage of 60.

While Rudolph told ESPN on Thursday that he was preparing to start against the Chargers, it appears he will be back on the bench, with Roethlisberger able to return to action.

Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has thrown for 1,986 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season across eight games.

The Steelers were the last team to be unbeaten in the regular season before finishing 12-4 but committed three turnovers in the first quarter at Heinz Field, Karl Joseph returning Maurkice Pouncey's fumble for a touchdown on the opening drive and Roethlisberger throwing two interceptions.

It was the first time Pittsburgh committed three turnovers in the first quarter under Roethlisberger across his 17 seasons with the team, with the Browns taking full advantage to surge into a 28-0 lead.

The 38-year-old finished the game 47-of-68 passing for 501 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions, but the damage had already been down.

Roethlisberger has one year remaining on his contract worth $41.2million and is yet to make a decision on whether he will return next season.

"It's going to start between me and God, a lot of praying. A lot of talking with my family, discussions, decisions," said Roethlisberger.

"I still have a year left on my contract. I hope the Steelers want me back, if that's the way we go. There will be a lot of discussions. But now is not the time for that.

"This loss is fresh. It's just sitting on our hearts and our minds right now. It will for a while."

On his performance, he added: "It wasn't good enough. When you lose a game like this, you can look back and evaluate all you want on the season, how you did during this game, that game, runs, stretches. I mean, at some point we'll look back on the whole thing.

"But when it doesn't end the way you want it to, you're always going to feel some kind of way, like you came up short or it's your fault."

The Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016, with their past three appearances in the postseason ending in defeat. For the Browns, it was a first playoff victory since 1994.

Asked if he was accountable for Pittsburgh's recent failures, head coach Mike Tomlin replied: "It is what it is. Our record is our record. Our performances are our performances. Don't run away from that.

"We didn't perform well enough. Not coaching, not playing. You can chalk it up to the turnover game. But we weren't good enough in a lot of other areas, communication, in terms of detail. Just not a good night for us.

"In the single elimination tournaments, when you don't have a good night, you go home."

Wilson joined the Steelers after cutting short a largely unsuccessful two-season spell with the Denver Broncos in March.

Wilson, a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seattle Seahawks, played 30 games through his two seasons in Denver but only managed 11 victories as the team twice missed out on the playoffs.

Having joined the Steelers on a one-year deal on the veteran's minimum salary of $1.2million for 2024, Wilson beat out fellow new arrival Justin Fields for the starting job during preseason.

However, coach Mike Tomlin confirmed on Thursday the 35-year-old had self-reported tightness in his right calf and would undergo further examination.

The Steelers open their 2024 campaign against the Atlanta Falcons, who also have two new quarterbacks on their roster in Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., on Sunday. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the 2019 first-round pick was hit by a vehicle in South Florida, where he had been training with other Steelers quarterbacks, running backs and receivers.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin read: "I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins.

"He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great team-mate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time."

Haskins signed with the Steelers in 2021 after being released by the Washington Commanders late in the 2020 season.

Washington selected Haskins with the 15th pick of the 2019 draft after his stellar 2018 season with Ohio State, throwing 50 touchdowns to eight interceptions in that campaign.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement: "I am absolutely heartbroken to hear of the news of the passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him.

"This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed. Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time."

Washington co-owners Dan and Tara Snyder added: "We are devastated to hear the news of the tragic passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality.

"To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Our hearts and prayers are with the members of the Dwayne's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."

The Steelers scored 15 fourth-quarter points in Sunday's 24-19 victory, going 8-0 for the first time in their history.

Steelers head coach Tomlin said Pittsburgh would be prepared for opponents to throw their best at them.

"We're the Pittsburgh Steelers, everybody knows what that means," he said.

"We get everybody's best punch, regardless of record. I think people respect our brand and they respect our franchise and its history. That's been my experience over 14 years here.

"Regardless of our record, people know when they are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and a certain responsibility that comes with our reputation. We're going to get people's best shot."

Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger completed 29 of 42 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Cowboys.

He became the second QB in NFL history to lead his team to an 8-0 start at age 38 or older (must have started all eight games), joining Tom Brady, who did it in 2015 and 2019.

While the Steelers made history, Tomlin said he would be moving on quickly.

"It's significant as we sit here today. Once I go to work tomorrow it will be less significant," he said.

"We will be singularly focused on getting ready for our next AFC North opponent. That's life.

"I am appreciative of it but we're not going to dwell on it. We've got big time business coming up with AFC North ball."

After a first half in which the Steelers only managed a pair of field goals, Tomlin introduced the 24-year-old quarterback, who ran in for two rushing touchdowns to hand Pittsburgh a 20-10 lead.

However, Pickett also threw three interceptions as the Jets hit back, and rookie Breece Hall's game-winning touchdown reduced the Steelers to 1-3 for the season.

Pickett's introduction came as something of a surprise after Tomlin appeared to rule out a change at quarterback following the Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns, and he refused to give away his future plans after Sunday's game.

"I'm not going to talk extended as we sit here," said Tomlin. "We did what we needed to do to put ourselves in a position to win this game. We'll do it again. 

"But I like to just keep it where we are in terms of what transpired here today. We'll deal with next week, next week."

Asked why he brought Pickett in, Tomlin added: "We just thought we needed a spark. 

"We didn't do much in the first half, not enough offensively and thought he could provide a spark for us.

"I thought he did some good things. I thought there was some energy there. We scored some touchdowns. But obviously we also turned the ball over.

"We're disappointed, but what transpired is not anything mystical. That's what we talked about as a collective in there. 

"No disrespect to the Jets. They made plays and won the football game. But it's not about who we play.

"It's not about rabbits' foots and so forth. We've got to play better. We've got to put them in a better position. We've got to perform better. And I'm talking about the collection of players and coaches in there."

Pickett, meanwhile, fronted up for Pittsburgh's defeat as he echoed Tomlin's call for improvements, saying: "I'm just disappointed. 

"[I] wanted to come in and get the win so that's really just the emotion, just disappointed we didn't come out with the outcome we worked so hard for. Definitely something we need to learn from and move on.

"The plays were there, we made plays, but the turnovers killed us. It's definitely on me and I have to improve."

With both teams entering the contest at 6-8, it meant anything but a win would spell an early end to the season, and it was the Raiders controlling the contest throughout.

Playing on the road, Hunter Renfrow gave the Raiders the lead in the first quarter after an impressive contested catch near the sideline, before staying inbounds and juking the safety on his way to the endzone

The two sides would kick a field goal each in the second quarter, and besides another Chris Boswell field goal early in the fourth period to cut the Raiders' lead to 10-6, there were no other points scored in the second half until the final minute.

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett got the ball back for his game-winning drive with 2:55 remaining, proceeding to march 76 yards down the field in 10 plays in the freezing temperature and driving snow. 

It culminated in a quarterback sneak to convert a fourth-and-one, before Pickett found fellow rookie George Pickens in the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown with 46 seconds on the clock.

The Raiders had one late chance to work their way into field goal range and potentially force overtime to keep their season alive, but it all came crashing down when Derek Carr threw his third interception of the game. It tied Carr's career-high for interceptions in a season with 14, with two games remaining.

Pickett, on the other hand, played a strong game considering the conditions, completing 26 of his 39 passes for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Steelers will need to beat the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns in the final two weeks to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.