PITTSBURGH 993.7 The Fan) – Steelers avoided a first 0-3 home start since 1986, beating 3-1 Denver 27-19 Sunday. Najee Harris fought through cramps for his first 100-yard NFL game. Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson with touchdowns receptions.
Leading 24-6 in the fourth quarter, the Steelers had to hold on with a James Pierre interception in the end zone with 17 seconds left to seal it. Earlier in the game, Pierre beaten by Courtland Sutton for a 39-yard touchdown.
"I knew they were coming at me," Pierre said. "I got beat. I knew they were coming at me again."
"I listened to my coach. I kept my eyes at my work. I took two steps at the receiver and just looked back for the ball. I caught the pick. Out-of-body experience. It was crazy."
"Man, he stayed in the fight," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "Young guys, they're going to come after you; you're going to have to make some plays.
It's the education of a corner in the National Football League."
For the second straight game, Steelers scored on their opening possession of the game. Ben Roethlisberger (15-25, 253 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) hit Diontae Johnson (2 rec., 72 yards) for a 50-yard touchdown. Defense stepped up after a Malik Reed strip sack of Roethlisberger gave the Broncos the ball at the Steelers 29. Denver went three-and-out and had to settle for three.
The teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter until Najee Harris leaped over the file to score from the one and the Steelers would lead by 11. Harris would rush for 122 yards. His first 100-yard game in the NFL.
The rookie said after the game the attention shouldn't be on him, but all the attention to the play of the Steelers offensive line.
"It's not as much me going over 100 but it's just all the criticism that they've been taking this whole year," Harris said. "This whole off season. They come out and do that against a good team too. They overcame the odds & came out and played like that. I was smiling for them. It makes you want to play even better."
Roethlisberger threw his second touchdown to Chase Claypool (5 receptions, 130 yards) from 18 yards out to put the Steelers up 24-6.
"We repped that throughout the season," Claypool said. "It's a new play Coach Canada put in. We moved a couple of people around. Put them in the right spots. I think I knew Ben was coming to me. Ben knew he was coming to me also. I just had to make a play."
Minkah Fitzpatrick with a game-high 10 tackles, Devin Bush and Henry Mondeauz with sacks.
INJURIES
Bush left the game with a groin injury. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster went to the hospital with a shoulder injury after taking a big hit Kareem Jackson on a jet sweep.
UP NEXT
Steelers improve to 2-3 on the season and host a Seattle team likely without Russell Wilson at quarterback before a bye week.
"It gives us momentum moving into next week," Claypool said. "It makes us feel better about everything. Doesn't matter how we got it, we got the win and it builds confidence."
