Don’t look now but Pittsburgh off to its best start in 10 years
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers spent two quarters trying to hem in Deshaun Watson. It didn’t take. After watching the Houston quarterback move the Texans up and down Heinz Field with remarkable ease, the Steelers blew up their meticulously puttogether game plan and went back to their default setting: attack.
Might want to stick with that one. Probably for good.
Slicing into the backfield relentlessly, the Steelers put the clamps on the Texans in the second half to rally for a 28-21 victory that pushed them to 3-0 for the first time in a decade. Houston managed just 51 yards and two first downs over in the final 30 minutes to fall to 0-3.
“We didn’t blink, man,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
The Texans blinked plenty.
Houston’s defense wilted late, giving up a 12play, 79-yard touchdown drive following a pick by Watson, one that ended with James Conner’s 12-yard sprint that put the Steelers up 28-21 with 6:24 to go. Pittsburgh forced its third three-and-out of the second half on Houston’s next possession and the Steelers then ran off the final 4:47 that began with a 25-yard dash by Conner and ended with three anticlimatic knee downs inside the Houston 10.
Conner finished with 109 yards rushing and added 40 yards receiving. He had plenty of help from rookie Anthony Mcfarland, who ran for 42 yards on six carries in his NFL debut and Benny Snell Jr., who converted a key third-and-1 on the go-ahead touchdown drive. After opening the season with two relatively drama-free wins, the Steelers needed to overcome an early 11-point deficit to stay perfect.
■ NEXT: Vikings at Texans, 10 a.m. Sunday. Steelers at Tennessee, 10 a.m. Sunday.
COLTS 36, JETS 7
Xavier Rhodes delivered the first punch for the host Colts on Sunday. T.J. Carrie finished it off on a milestone game for Philip Rivers. Rhodes and Carrie each returned an interception for a touchdown, the Colts recorded their second safety in as many weeks and Rivers added his 400th career TD pass.
It’s the first time since October 1970 the Colts returned two INTS for scores in one game.
The last time it happened also came against the Jets. Rivers, meanwhile, played like his old self, getting rid of the ball quickly and crisply while avoiding mistakes on a milestone day. The 38-year-old quarterback was 17 of 21 with 217 yards and played his first turnover-free game since joining Indy (2-1). He became the sixth player in league history to throw 400 career TD passes and the sixth to top 60,000 yards.
■ NEXT: Broncos at Jets, 5:20 p.m. Thursday. Colts at Bears, 10 a.m. Sunday.