The Pittsburgh Steelers Spoil The Buffalo Bills 2021 Home Opener

All Buffalo Bills fans knew how special Sunday would be, going back weeks and even months ago, but seeing it in person was a whole different story.

Over 70,000 screaming Bills fans packed Highmark Stadium on Sunday afternoon for what was the first full-capacity home game since the 2019 season finale.

Before the game, it was a surreal scene with a tribute to 9/11 and a flyover that shook Highmark Stadium towards the end of the National Anthem.

As for the game, the Bills got off to a shaky start on offense, as did the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie returned the opening kickoff 75 yards, but the Bills offense went three and out and had to settle for a 37-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Bass.

The Bills offense did not look good most of the game. The most noticeable aspect was the Steelers defensive line being able to sustain pressure on quarterback Josh Allen. It felt like many of the dropbacks featured the Bills line getting pushed back into Allen.

Allen also missed a few throws, including what would have been a long touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders on the second drive of the game. Allen overthrew Sanders by two or three yards.

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The Bills defense looked fantastic, however, as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an equally rough day for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers best throw and catch was a 22-yard strike down the right sideline to wide receiver Chase Claypool, who made an unbelievable catch on cornerback Tre'Davious White.

The Bills finally got a touchdown when Josh Allen threw a three-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gabriel Davis to make the score 10-0 at halftime.

Two stalled Steelers drives inside the 10-yard-line led to two Chris Boswell field goals to make the score, 10-6.

That's when the floodgates opened up, and not in a good way for the Bills.

Cornerback Levi Wallace was called for pass interference on third down early in the 4th quarter and that led to a 5-yard Steelers touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson.

The Bills then had a punt blocked for a Steelers touchdown to make it 20-10, which took the air out of a packed house at Highmark Stadium.

The game would end, 23-13 and drop the Bills to 0-1 to start the 2021 regular season.

After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke about how penalties didn't do the Bills any favors, calling them, "unacceptable."

Many fans were questioning the decision to call the fake sneak throw back to running back Matt Breida on fourth down that turned the ball over near midfield in the second half.

"The one we threw it (the ball) backwards?" said McDermott? "Yeah, I got to do a better job there."

Bills safety Jordan Poyer talked to the Buffalo media after the game and spoke about how the Bills defense did not play as good as the Steelers defense, even with the great first half.

Poyer was frustrated the Bills didn't have one forced turnover.

"We didn't find one way to take the ball away," said Poyer." To me that was the difference."

Fellow Bills safety Micah Hyde left the meeting with the media by saying, "plenty of games left." Poyer then yelled out, "don't panic."

It sets a reminder to Bills fans that it is only week 1 in an 18 week regular season..

The Bills next play at the Miami Dolphins next Sunday at 1 pm.