The Steelers improved to 3-6 today with a 20-10 home victory over the New Orleans Saints. Almost more important than the headline: TJ Watt returned to the NFL field for the first time since tearing a pectoral muscle two months ago.
Watt made his presence known early with tackles on each of his first two snaps. With the help of a False Start penalty committed before the visitors’ first offensive snap (the Beaver Stadium Special) Andy Dalton and the Saints found themselves facing a 3rd&13 inside his own 10. I don’t need to tell you how that turned out.
Aided by a converted 4th&2 (swing pass to RB Jaylen Warren) and a Defensive Pass Interference, QB Kenny Pickett led his troops to the Saints’ red zone on their second drive. WR George Pickens – who converted the Steelers’ only First Down on their first possession – logged his first NFL rushing TD on a jet sweep at the goal line. 7-0 PIT
RB Najee Harris broke off this sweet 45-yard scamper, but the unflagged helmet-to-helmet hit at the end sent him to the blue tent. Fortunately he was back out there for the Steelers’ next drive, after newest Steeler Matthew Wright converted a 33-yard FG. 10-0 PIT
The Saints got to marching despite a couple bad throws from Dalton and S Damontae Kazee recording his first three (solo) tackles in his Steelers (regular season) debut. TJ affected a 2nd Down pass and recorded a 3rd Down sack and New Orleans settled for a FG to get on the board. 10-3 PIT UPDATE: that sack was vacated after determining Dalton had regained the line of scrimmage with his scramble.
After two uncalled direct helmet-to-helmet hits by Saints players, the officials chose the final minute of the first half to crack down on physicality by flagging Kazee for a violent shoulder-to -shoulder hit. One play later New Orleans cracked the end zone, tying it at 10 just before half time.
Although Pickett was shaken up with some sort of lower body injury early in the third quarter, he put the Steelers offense in FG-range in each of their first two drives of the second half. Wright missed the first attempt but knocked the second one through, despite it being ruled “blocked.” 13-10 PIT
Pittsburgh’s next defensive sequence was the kind of thing of Steelers’ storybooks. It started with a TJ run stuff and ended with a tipped pass that became Kazee’s first Steelers INT. Sandwiched in between there MLB Devin Bush made a great play in coverage.
They almost gave it back right away by way of a Najee fumble but RT Chuks Okorafor jumped on the loose ball to avert disaster. The next snap, Matt Canada cleared out the right half of the field and Warren took a short pass for a 26-yard gain. Extended by a DPI in the end zone, the drive ended with a one-yard TD plunge by the rookie QB. Post-Ben, the QB sneak is back in a BIG way for the Steelers. 20-10 PIT
After a nine-yard slant on 1D, SS Terrell Edmunds and CB Levi Wallace both tipped a 2D pass. DE Cam Heyward stuffed a run and threw Alvin Kamara backward on 3D1. With the offense out there on 4D1 Dalton attempted a sneak but MLB Robert Spillane came off the left edge and threw the bloody-nosed redhead to the turf emphatically. They gave the bloody-nosed redhead no gain but he was stopped at least a full yard behind the line of scrimmage.
Set up in very plus territory, Pittsburgh’s offense wasn’t able to help their cause and Coach Tomlin once again came hat-in-hand to Danny Smith’s boys. For the second time today Wright hooked a kick hard-left, this time squandering a 48-yard attempt.
Fortunately their defense didn’t need any additional support. OLB Alex Highsmith recorded his second sack of the day – this one of the strip sack variety, although a white-shirt recovered the unclaimed luggage. They recouped half of their lost yardage on 2D but looking deep up the right sideline on 3D10 Dalton found his second INT of the day – this time in the hands of CB Levi Wallace.
New Orlean’s defense took it down to the two-minute warning looking at a 3D8. Warren effectively ended the game with a 21-yard run around the right end. FB Derek Watt converted his second 3D1 of the afternoon and it was Victory Formation time. FINAL: 20-10 PIT
CamBlackburnWrites 