Calvin Austin III scores twice as
the Steelers hold off the Giants 26-18
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[October 29, 2024]
By WILL GRAVES
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin pulled
Calvin Austin III aside before the undersized wide receiver took the
field for a punt return in the third quarter of a somewhat lifeless
game against the New York Giants.
The Steelers were scuffling. The offense was moving the ball, just
not into the end zone. Tomlin knew the 5-foot-9, 162-pound Austin
had come close to breaking a big return several times this season.
And the NFL's longest-tenured head coach had a feeling.
“I thought it was his time,” Tomlin said. "And he thought it was his
time. And he delivered.”
Not once, but twice.
Austin — who texted his friends over the weekend that he was due to
break a big one — sprinted across the field and raced 73 yards for a
touchdown after Tomlin's little pep talk. He later added a 29-yard,
over-the-shoulder scoring grab to give the Steelers the boost they
needed to beat the Giants 26-18 on Monday night.
Pittsburgh (6-2) won its 22nd straight home game under the Monday
night lights behind Austin's playmaking and a pair of late
turnovers. T.J. Watt strip-sacked Daniel Jones with less than three
minutes to go to end one New York drive, and rookie cornerback
Beanie Bishop picked Jones off with 42 seconds to play to end it.
“It wasn’t as fluid as we’d like but that’s football,” Tomlin said.
“We’ve got to guard against (caring about) style points.”
Good thing, because style points were in short supply on a night
when three apparent touchdowns — two by Pittsburgh, one by New York
— were nullified, the teams combined for 16 penalties, and drives
regularly bogged down near the end zone.
The Steelers won their third straight and head into their bye week
leading the AFC North by one game over Baltimore. After relying
heavily on their defense over the opening month, the Steelers'
offense has found another gear since Wilson returned from a calf
injury that forced him to miss the first six games.
The 35-year-old completed 20 of 28 passes for 278 yards in his
second home start as a Steeler. His only real miscue was a fumble
with 4:42 remaining that briefly opened the door for the Giants
(2-6).
Watt closed it a few moments later after New York opted to not
double-team him with the Giants driving for the potential tying
score.
“He’s got a unique talent, a unique approach,” Tomlin said. “He gets
unique results.”
Najee Harris ran for 114 yards, topping 100 for a third straight
game for the first time in his career. Chris Boswell kicked four
field goals to bail out an offense that bogged down regularly in New
York territory.
Wilson also spread the ball around, connecting with eight players, a
promising development for a team that has relied heavily — perhaps
too heavily — on George Pickens to make something happen in the
passing game.
Austin finished with three receptions for 54 yards. Van Jefferson
added four receptions for 62 yards. Even third-string tight end
MyCole Pruitt caught a pass.
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New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) is sacked by Pittsburgh
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith during the second half of an NFL
football game Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene
J. Puskar)
“Guys are believers,” Wilson said.
Perhaps Austin the most. Before games, the third-year pro spends
time reading notes he's stashed away on his phone from doubters he
found online who felt he was too small to make it in the NFL. Yet
there he was in the aftermath listening to fans chant his name after
Pittsburgh put the finishing touches on a promising opening two
months.
“We’re all competitors,” Austin said. "We are going to always bank
on us, regardless.”
Giants rookie Tyrone Tracy ran for a season-high 145 yards,
including a 45-yard sprint early in the fourth quarter that pulled
New York within eight. The Giants tried a 2-point conversion, but
the ill-conceived play to rookie receiver Malik Nabers behind the
line of scrimmage was easily swatted away.
Jones, benched in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to
Philadelphia last week, completed 24 of 38 passes for 264 yards and
the late pick. Darius Slayton finished with four receptions for 108
yards and Nabers caught seven passes for 72 yards. Greg Joseph
booted four field goals for the Giants, who were undone by 11
penalties for 65 yards and a defense that let the suddenly potent
Wilson-led Steelers offense pile up 426 yards.
“There was a lot of good things, just not enough of them,” New York
coach Brian Daboll said.
It's been that way for a while for the Giants, who are 2-6 for a
second straight season. Two years removed from a breakout season
that ended with New York making the playoffs and the Giants
lavishing Jones with a lucrative extension, the franchise appears to
be adrift.
There were flashes of progress against the Steelers, but the Giants
were undone by the kind of miscues — flags, turnovers and blown
assignments — that have become far to frequent during their
freefall.
“We hurt ourselves a lot tonight,” Jones said. “That’s the most
frustrating part about it. We’ve got to be more detailed, starting
with me. The good stuff that happened was negated by the mistakes.”
Injuries
Steelers: Justin Fields served as the emergency quarterback behind
Wilson and Kyle Allen after tweaking a hamstring in practice on
Saturday.
Up next
Giants: Host Washington on Sunday.
Steelers: After a bye, visit the Commanders on Nov. 10.
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