CNN
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The Pittsburgh Steelers overcame the New York Giants 26-18 on Monday night at Acrisure Stadium, on an evening defined by defensive plays and a moment of special team brilliance.
The game started slowly with both teams struggling to convert drives into touchdowns, with their kickers – Chris Boswell for Pittsburgh and Greg Joseph for New York – each successfully converting three field goals to make it 9-9 at halftime.
But the game was jolted into life with 4:38 left in the third quarter when Pittsburgh’s Calvin Austin III took a Giants punt around the edge of the defenders and down the sideline for a 73-yard touchdown.
And the 25-year-old wasn’t done there; on the very next Steelers drive at the beginning of the fourth, the wide receiver caught a 29-yard pass from QB Russell Wilson to extend Pittsburgh’s 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 on Sunday for the Detroit Lions in their demolition of the Tennessee Titans.
After the game, Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith praised Austin III’s work ethic and ability to remain 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 did attempt to make a comeback though, with rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushing 45 yards for a sensational touchdown a little under two minutes later.
However, that was as good as it got for the visitors as they failed on their two-point conversion attempt after the score – quarterback Daniel Jones was visibly frustrated after WR Malik Nabers was tackled as there was clear confusion among the Giants squad.
After Wilson fumbled the ball on his own 34-yard line, offering New York a perfect opportunity to mount a comeback, 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 one final time to force a punt and give the team one last chance at a comeback. But Jones had his pass intercepted by Steelers cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. – his third in two games – and Pittsburgh held on for the hard-fought win.
It’s the second win in a row with Wilson as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback after he replaced Justin Fields. 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 carries.
The Steelers now head into their bye week on a three-game win streak atop the AFC North with a 6-2 record.
However, Watt says he and his Pittsburgh teammates aren’t resting on their laurels just yet.
“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 resurgent Washington Commanders in Week 9.
