Calvin Austin’s 2 TDs help Steelers hold off Giants – Orange County Register

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin pulled Calvin Austin III to the side before the undersized wide receiver took the field for a comeback in the third quarter of a somewhat lifeless game against the New York Giants.

The Steelers battled. The offense was moving the ball, but not in the end zone. Tomlin knew the 5-foot-9, 162-pound Austin had come close to hitting the bigs several times. And the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach had a hunch.

“I thought it was his time,” Tomlin said. “And he thought his time had come. And he delivered.”

Not once, but twice.

Austin, who sent a message to his friends over the weekend that he was going to make a big play, sprinted down the field and raced 73 yards for a touchdown after a pep talk from Tomlin. He later added a 29-yard scoring grab over his shoulder to give the Steelers the push they needed to beat the Giants 26-18 on Monday night.

Pittsburgh (6-2) won its 22nd straight home game under the night lights on Monday after Austin’s game and a pair of late losses. TJ Watt sacked Daniel Jones with less than three minutes left to put New York up one, and rookie cornerback Beanie Bishop intercepted a Jones pass with 42 seconds left.

“It wasn’t as smooth as we would have liked, but that’s football,” Tomlin said. “We have to beware (take care of) moments of style.”

Good, because there were no shortage of style points that night, when three apparent touchdowns — two by Pittsburgh and one by New York — were nullified, the teams combined for 16 penalties and drives routinely stalled in the end zone.

The Steelers won their third straight and began their bye week with a one-game lead over Baltimore in the AFC North. After relying heavily on their defense in the first month, the Steelers’ offense found a different gear as Wilson returned from a calf injury that kept him out of 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 mistake was a fumble at 4:42 that briefly opened the door for the Giants (2-6).

Watt shut it down minutes after New York opted not to double-team him with the Giants leading a potential tie.

“He has a unique talent, a unique approach,” Tomlin said. “He gets unique results.”

Naji Harris rushed for 114 yards, surpassing 100 for the third straight game for the first time in his career. Chris Boswell scored four field goals to bail out a forward who was regularly stuck in New York territory.

Wilson also spread the ball around, connecting with eight players, which is promising for a team that has relied heavily — perhaps too heavily — on George Pickens to make things 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.

“Guys are believers,” Wilson said.

Maybe Austin the most. Before games, the third-year pro spends time reading notes he’s stashed on his phone from doubters he’s found online and who thought he was too young to make the NFL. And yet he was after listening to fans chant his name after Pittsburgh ended a promising opening two months ago.

“We’re all competitors,” Austin said. “We will always bet on us regardless.”

Giants rookie Tyron Tracy ran for a season-high 145 yards, including a 45-yarder early in the fourth quarter that put New York up by eight. The Giants attempted a 2-point conversion, but a fumble against rookie receiver Malik Nabers at the line of scrimmage was easily batted away.

Jones, who was benched in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss to Philadelphia, completed 24 of 38 passes for 264 yards and a late pickoff. Darius Slayton finished with four receptions for 108 yards and Nabers caught seven passes for 72 yards. Greg Joseph had four field goals for the Giants, who were nullified by 11 penalties for 65 yards and a defense that allowed a suddenly strong Steelers offense led by Wilson to pile up 426 yards.

“There were a lot of good things, just not enough,” New York coach Brian Daboll said.

That’s been the case for a while for the Giants, who are 2-6 for the second straight season. Two years after 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 in decline.