Steelers, Giants To Match Up While Heading in Opposite Directions

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) carries against New York Jets linebacker Quincy Williams in the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The relentless questions surrounding the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh seem to have finally stopped.

Temporarily anyway.

Having Russell Wilson account for three touchdowns and showing flashes of his “Let Russ Cook” prime — as he did in a win over the Jets in his Steelers debut last week — certainly helped.

Mike Tomlin, inundated constantly about the status of his quarterback room over the first several weeks as Wilson rehabbed a calf injury and backup Justin Fields performed capably in Wilson’s absence, faced one solitary inquiry about whether Wilson would get the nod again when the Steelers (5-2) host the struggling New York Giants (2-5) on Monday night. And even that was merely as a point of clarification.

“He’s scheduled to take first-team reps,” Tomlin said, the smile on his face and the hint of sarcasm in his voice as he spoke giving off the vibe of a coach only too happy to move on.

Those same questions that have quieted in Pittsburgh only appear to be growing louder in New York, where the Giants are reeling and Daniel Jones hardly looks like the player that led the organization to lavish him with a four-year, $160 million extension just over 18 months ago.

New York coach Brian Daboll — whose job status going forward appears to be stable at this point — is sticking with Jones for now, believing the issues plaguing the NFL’s 30th-ranked offense go far deeper than his quarterback.

“He’s the starter, and we’ll work on improving the things we need to improve,” Daboll said of Jones.

And the Giants will have to do it against a T.J. Watt-led Steelers defense that is second in the NFL in takeaways and points allowed. Oh, and they’ll have to do it in Pittsburgh, which hasn’t lost a Monday night game at home since 1991, a streak of 21 straight wins and counting.

“Before even some of y’all were born, the Steelers have lived up to a standard on defense and they’ve maintained that for a really long time, and they still hold that true,” Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton said. “It’s obviously going to take a physical four-quarter game for us to be able to beat them.”

Or exactly the kind of game the Steelers specialize in, particularly at home under the bright Monday night lights.

If there has been a silver lining to Jones’ very real problems while playing at home, it’s that he’s better on the road. Jones is one of three quarterbacks with two-plus TD passes and a 100-plus rating in three road games this season.

Block culture

Pittsburgh special teams coordinator Danny Smith challenges one of his units to get their hands on at least one kick a week, an audacious goal that he does not apologize for setting.

Smith’s players are listening. The Steelers have blocked a kick in three straight games, the first time any team has done that since the New England Patriots in 2017. And that’s without All-Pro special teams ace Miles Killebrew getting into the mix. That’s fine by Killebrew, who is only too happy to see teammates such as defensive tackle Dean Lowry and outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon get into the mix.

“It’s addicting,” Killebrew said. “I can say from experience blocking a kick in a game is probably one of the more exhilarating things you can do in this sport. It’s a game-changer.”

Minding Malik

Giants rookie receiver Malik Nabers caught a season-low four passes last week in returning from a concussion that caused him to miss two games.

When asked why only four, the first-round pick responded bluntly that’s when he “was open.”

New York’s best path to pulling off the upset runs through Nabers, who is tied for seventh in the league with 39 receptions.

“Those guys that get an opportunity to hug (commissioner) Roger Goodell man (at the draft), it’s usually because of some real tangible things and some also some real intangible things,” Tomlin said. “And (Nabers) has both, and he has our attention in that regard.”

Cam’s milestone

Longtime Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward will appear in his 202nd regular-season game on Monday, the most ever by a Steelers defender, breaking a tie with Hall of Fame defensive back Donnie Shell.

The 35-year-old Heyward hasn’t lost much of a step in his 14th season. Heyward’s three sacks are one more than he had during his injury-marred 2023 and he’s one of the main reasons the Steelers are third in the league against the run.

Heyward, a six-time Pro Bowler, understands who he’s passing in the team record book. It’s one of the reasons he doesn’t take his role for granted, even now.

“It’s something that I got to produce,” he said. “And, you know, I want to hold up my end of the deal.”

Running to daylight

Pittsburgh’s offensive line has been an injury-riddled puzzle for most of the season, with five different starting combinations in seven games.

Yet the constant shuffle up front hasn’t slowed down the running game. If anything, the Steelers are starting to find their groove on the ground, with Najee Harris leading the way. Harris has topped 100 yards in consecutive weeks for the second time in his career, with most of them coming in the second half as opposing defenses wear down.

“I think that’s just football,” Tomlin said. “I think that anybody who has a commitment to running the football is going to wage a war of attrition if you will … the dam eventually breaks.”