ERIC EBRON

Joe Mixon rushed for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns, Joe Burrow scrambled ran for a score and passed for another one and the Cincinnati Bengals crushed the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-10, sweeping the season series for the first time since 2009.

Justin Herbert threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams with 2:17 remaining and the Los Angeles Chargers held off the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-37 on Sunday night.

Those guys were picked apart in the Lions’ ugly 26-20 exhibition loss on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, their second straight setback to open the preseason. Let’s get to some observations:-- The linebackers were awful, and perhaps none more so than Jahlani Tavai. Tavai blew an assignment in the opener that led to a wide-open touchdown pass, then had yet more issues in pass coverage in Pittsburgh. Fullback Godwin Igwebuike finished the drive with 7-yard touchdown run, then Blough came back on the next series and found undrafted rookie Javon McKinley for a 10-yard touchdown pass. -- It was an ugly night of football in most regards for Detroit, though Jack Fox continues to do Jack Fox things.

Several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class are embracing the organization's high expectations.

The Detroit Lions are picking inside the top 10 for the third consecutive NFL draft, so let’s take a look back through the rocky years of selections. Detroit holds Pick 7 come Thursday’s draft, representing the team’s 27th try picking inside the top 10 since 1960. 5 -- BYU DE Ezekiel “Ziggy” AnsahEzekiel Ansah had 30 sacks in his first 46 career games, but injuries and a regime change in Detroit led to his exit. He’s remained involved with the franchise, serving as the color commentator for Lions games over the past couple of seasons. 10 -- Kansas QB John HadlJohn Hadl never played a snap for the Detroit Lions, opting for life in the AFL with the San Diego Chargers.

ALLEN PARK -- Nobody can ever say new Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes didn’t swing for the fences when he had the chance. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Lions initially asked the Los Angeles Rams for star defender Aaron Donald when discussing the trade for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Donald was named the league’s defensive player of the year over the weekend, the third time the defensive lineman has won the prestigious award. “Rams told Lions, ‘that’s not happening,’ before the two sides later figured out the eventual compensation package,” Shefter said in a tweet. For those in the dark, the Lions sent Stafford to Los Angeles for quarterback Jared Goff, a third-round pick in this year’s draft and two future first-rounders.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) makes a catch past Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (26) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Pittsburgh. And even as the Steelers spent the first half against Indianapolis seemingly in a full-out sprint to get to the offseason as quickly as possible. It revived Pittsburgh's floundering season and delivered the Steelers the AFC North title. The defense kept Philip Rivers, rookie running back Jonathan Taylor and Indianapolis out of the end zone in the second half. “When we had everything to play for, we just didn’t have all the answers in the second half of a game we had to have.

ALLEN PARK -- Some people in the Detroit Lions organization wanted to take Aaron Donald with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 draft. Brad Holmes, the Los Angeles Rams’ director of college scouting, is expected to interview for the Lions’ general manager opening according to ESPN. Holmes, a longtime Atlanta resident, also is a candidate for the Falcons job according to the report. Holmes is the eighth known candidate linked to an interview in Detroit, following former Texans general manager Rick Smith, former Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, former Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick and internal candidates Kyle O’Brien, Lance Newmark and Rob Lohman. Spielman is participating in interviews, while other advisors like Barry Sanders, Mark Hollis and former Cardinals general manager Rod Graves hold advisory roles without participating in interviews.

(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)NEW YORK – In their bid to stay perfect on the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been cutting it really close in recent weeks. After earning last-minute wins in their past three games, the Steelers remained on top in the latest AP Pro32 poll. The Steelers held off the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 when Stephen Gostkowski missed a late field-goal attempt. “The perfect season continues, but the Steelers aren’t quite perfect, as their comeback win over the woeful Cowboys showed,” Newsday's Bob Glauber said. The Titans (6-2) lead the Colts by a game for the top spot in the division.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass in the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)The AFC doesn’t lack for drama or star power even though Tom Brady has taken his talents to Davis Beach. WEST: The Chiefs (8-1) are still the class of the conference despite a hiccup against the resurgent Raiders (5-3), who won 40-32 at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 11. Mahomes became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 100 TD passes, doing it in 40 games, four fewer than Dan Marino. The Broncos (3-5) have been waylaid by injuries and COVID-19 opt-outs, exposures and infections and Drew Lock went 45 drives without a TD pass.

The limp was gone as the 38-year-old engineered a fourth-quarter comeback that kept Pittsburgh as the NFL's only unbeaten team. Those are the four games Dallas has been without star Dak Prescott, out for the season with a broken ankle. Roethlisberger's first touchdown came after he injured his left knee after a throw on a hit from defensive tackle Neville Gallimore. “Someone hit me right on the side of the knee, kind of bent my knee a little bit,” Roethlisberger said. “Just had some discomfort.”Gilbert's first touchdown pass was a 20-yarder to Lamb for a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) applies pressure on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) applies pressure on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Baltimore. Ben Roethlisberger threw two second-half touchdowns, and the Steelers beat error-prone Lamar Jackson and the Ravens 28-24 Sunday to match the best start in franchise history. “I put that on me.”Beyond losing ground in the division, Baltimore lost All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley for the season with a severe ankle injury. The Steelers led 28-24 when the Ravens (5-2) faced a fourth-and-3 at the Pittsburgh 8 with 2 minutes left. That left Pittsburgh thin up front after DE Chris Wormley went on IR Saturday.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Eric Ebron (85) celebrates on the sideline with teammate cornerback Joe Haden (23) after making a touchdown catch against the Houston Texans in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers spent two quarters trying to hem in Deshaun Watson. Slicing into the backfield relentlessly, the Steelers put the clamps on the Texans in the second half to rally for a 28-21 victory that pushed them to 3-0 for the first time in a decade. Houston managed just 51 yards and two first downs over in the final 30 minutes to fall to 0-3. After opening the season with two relatively drama-free wins, the Steelers needed to overcome an early 11-point deficit to stay perfect. Steelers: Johnson exited in the second quarter due to a concussion on the play where Roethlisberger helped pave the way for a short gain.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) comes down with a touchdown pass against New York Giants cornerback James Bradberry (24) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Roethlisberger, who missed the final 14 games last season after elbow surgery, threw for three scores in a 26-16 win over the New York Giants at an empty and eerie MetLife Stadium on Monday night. The defense, while not quite on the level of the famed Steel Curtain, was plenty stingy and physical. It not only held Saquon Barkley to 6 yards on 15 carries, it also swarmed him in the backfield nearly all night. Even though the Pittsburgh defense broke down as the Giants marched 87 yards on 19 plays in just under nine minutes in the third quarter, it still came up with a major stop. Roethlisberger then took Pittsburgh 62 yards for the field goal and a 19-10 lead.

PITTSBURGH Ben Roethlisberger is pretty sure there isn't a technical term for what doctors did to his shredded right elbow last fall. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is pretty sure about one thing though: no one who has ever played his position has ever recovered from it well enough to continue throwing a football for a living. Roethlisberger admitted he'd been dealing what he described as minor elbow discomfort for a while heading into Week 2 against Seattle. The two-time Super Bowl winner underwent surgery shortly thereafter that anchored the torn tendons to his elbow. I still want to win Lombardys," Roethlisberger said, referencing the trophy that goes to the Super Bowl champions.

The Dolphins (2-7) have won two straight after a miserable start and earned their first win at Lucas Oil Stadium since 2013. Miami answered with a 48-yard field goal to make it 13-12. The Dolphins capitalized on Hoyer's final interception with another 48-yard field goal. Colts: Hoyer was 18 of 39 with 204 yards and one TD. Colts: Will try to win third straight division game this season when Jacksonville visits next Sunday.

DETROIT – The Detroit Lions are on the clock. The 2017 NFL Draft is April 27 - April 29 in Philadelphia. Walter Football: Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida: The Lions have never replaced Ndamukong Suh or Nick Fairley, but here's their chance. Howard, TE, Alabama: While Eric Ebron has statistically improved each season in the NFL, he’s still an inconsistent player. Howard, TE, Alabama: I know this will surprise many of you, but I think the Lions make tight end a priority this offseason.