In a somewhat lifeless game, the Pittsburgh Steelers needed a boost of energy and they got it from an unlikely source. When it was all said and done, the Steelers got a win over the struggling New York Giants 26-18 on Monday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium, on an evening where defense was the calling card and a demonstration of special team brilliance.
The game began in a fog with both teams struggling to convert drives into touchdowns, with their kickers, Chris Boswell for Pittsburgh and Greg Joseph for New York, each successfully booting three field goals to make it 9-9 at halftime.
The Steelers were moving the ball down the field for 200 yards of offense, but they just could not crack the end zone. Being the savvy coach that he is, Mike Tomlin knew the 5-foot-9, 162-pound Calvin Austin III had come close to breaking a big return several times this season and was due. And the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach, 18 years, had a feeling.
“I thought it was his time,” Tomlin said. “And he thought it was his time. And he delivered.”
The game finally developed some traction and jolted into life with 4:38 left in the third quarter when Pittsburgh’s Austin III took a Giants punt around the edge of the defenders and down the sideline to make a house call for a 73-yard touchdown.
And the 25-year-old was not done by a long shot. On the Steelers ensuing drive at the beginning of the fourth, the undersized wide receiver caught a 29-yard pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to extend the Steelers lead to 14.
According to the NFL, Austin III became just the second player in the last three seasons with receiving and punt return touchdowns in the same game. The other player was Kalif Raymond who achieved the feat, coincidently, on Sunday for the Detroit Lions in their demolition of the Tennessee Titans 52-14.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter the dust settled, Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith spoke highly of Austin III’s work ethic and ability to stay ready so he does not have to get ready.
“I went up to him after he scored the touchdown and said it was a matter of time and I knew he was going to get it soon,” Highsmith said as he explained what he told the receiver after his first touchdown.
“He’s a guy who comes in every day, he works his butt off, he’s humble, he’s level-headed, and he’s a great dude, and so seeing him get those two touchdowns today, especially that punt return, was awesome. Again, that’s just huge for him, so I’m happy for him, and he’s a heck of a player.”
The Giants refused to give up and did attempt to make a comeback on the shoulder of rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who was a 5th round pick, rushing 45 yards for a spectacular touchdown a little under two minutes later.
However, that was as good as it got for ‘Big Blue’ as they failed on their two-point conversion attempt after the score. Quarterback Daniel Jones was visibly upset after his No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers was tackled as there was obvious confusion among the Giants squad.
After Wilson fumbled the ball on his own 34-yard line, offering the Giants outstanding field position and the glimmer of hope they needed to have a shot of stealing this game on the road, Jones did the same, fumbling after Pittsburgh’s TJ Watt punched the ball loose in a strip sack with the first-team All-Pro recovering the ball to force a turnover.
The Giants defense stepped up like warriors one final time to force a punt and give the team one last chance at a comeback. But Jones had his pass picked off by Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr., his third in the last two games, and Pittsburgh held on for the hard-fought win.
It is the second win in a row with Wilson as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback after he replaced Justin Fields, who was inactive for the game with a hamstring injury. Wilson finished 20-of-28 for 278 passing yards and the touchdown pass to Austin III, while running back Najee Harris added 114 yards on the ground on 19 rushes.
The Steelers now head into their bye week on a three-game winning streak atop the AFC North with a 6-2 record. They will take on the Washington Commanders on November 10.
However, Watt says he and his Pittsburgh teammates are not taking their foot off the gas pedal and resting on their laurels.
“We (don’t) just worry about overall outcome,” the 30-year-old said. “We can’t allow a 48-yard touchdown or whatever it was. But there are things we can correct and get better at each and every week.
“We’re going on the bye, and we can’t just go on vacation. We need to find a way to get better and sharpen our edge this week and get better.”
The Giants fall to 2-6 with the loss and face the ‘Hail Mary’ king Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Week 9.
