Five standouts from Steelers’ win
There were more than five standout players in the Steelers鈥� 20-12 win at the New York Giants on Friday night, but we鈥檒l start by counting backwards with:
5. TERRELL WATSON
Watson averaged a respectable 4.4 yards per carry in leading the Steelers with 44 rushing yards, and it was his 15-yard touchdown run that sealed the win in the fourth quarter.
Watson entered the game with QB Bart Houston late in the third quarter. The Steelers started the drive at the Pittsburgh 47, and, with the help of a pair of third-down conversion passes to Canaan Severin, found themselves at the New York 15. Watson ran around left end behind pulling H-back Jake McGee and went 15 yards for the touchdown.
鈥淚t was not unlike what he鈥檚 shown us on the fields of Latrobe,鈥� said Mike Tomlin. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a one-cut, downhill guy who did some nice things tonight. But that doesn鈥檛 happen in a vacuum. I thought those guys did an awesome job of blocking. I thought Jake McGee did a nice job leading the way.鈥�
4. ARTHUR MOATS
The veteran outside linebacker led with three sacks. One was a second-and-goal sack that forced the Giants to settle for their second field goal. The other two sacks occurred in the fourth quarter against rookie tackle Chad Wheeler, which wasn鈥檛 lost on Tomlin.
鈥淗e did what he was supposed to do,鈥� said Tomlin. 鈥淗e was like the 11th grader in a JV game there at the end. He鈥檚 supposed to dominate in those circumstances, and he did.鈥�
Moats and T.J. Watt were forced to play the majority of the game due to injuries to Bud Dupree and Anthony Chickillo and the still-prepping James Harrison.
Moats also made the play that turned the game around. With the Steelers trailing 12-10 in the third quarter, Moats dropped into the right flat and intercepted Geno Smith at the New York 35. He returned it to the 14 to set up the go-ahead field goal with 4:02 left in the third.
3. T.J. WATT
Everyone鈥檚 star of the game is ranked a tad low here, but we鈥檙e following the lead by Tomlin and examining the situation of the stats.
While Watt had sacks on his first two preseason series as a pro, the first was a result of pressure up the middle by Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward. The second came off a Giants bust when Watt came unblocked to sack Josh Johnson.
鈥淭hose were probably the two easiest sacks of his career,鈥� Tomlin told Steelers.com at halftime. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want him to get disillusioned, but I do like what I see so far.鈥�
While Watt didn鈥檛 record another sack in going the distance and rotating on both sides of the line, he made three other tackles, had three QB hurries and deflected a pass.
It wasn鈥檛 just a lucky game. His presence was obvious, and perhaps his most important contribution was a pressure on third-and-goal that forced a field goal.
It was an outstanding start for the first-round pick.
2. MIKE HILTON
You know I want to make this sleeper my Player of the Game, but No. 1 on this defense isn鈥檛 bad.
And, by the way, after Friday night鈥檚 game, the 5-9 slot cornerback is no longer a sleeper.
Hilton and Cobi Hamilton opened the game as the starting punt gunners, and both were given credit for the first tackle, although the tape shows Hilton making the tackle. He made two other tackles on kickoff returns, and also recovered a fumble, which he may have caused by bearing down on the return man late in the first half.
The fumble recovery set up a 28-yard touchdown pass to Hamilton and a 10-9 Steelers lead at the half.
Hilton was also an effective blitzer out of the slot. Once he sacked Johnson for a 10-yard loss on third-and-6 that forced a 52-yard field goal. Hilton also hurried Smith into an incompletion on another third down late in the third quarter.
The 184-pounder stopped a late Giants bid to tie the game by tackling Khalid Abdullah short of the sticks on a fourth-and-2 carry with 7:35 remaining. But Hilton still wasn鈥檛 done. His pressure on the Giants鈥� final play produced an incompletion on fourth down.
1. JOSHUA DOBBS
The rookie quarterback remained poised after throwing interceptions on his third and fourth series. Obviously the experience he gained as a four-year starter at Tennessee allowed him to remain calm, and he guided the Steelers to a 13-12 lead before leaving late in the third quarter.
Dobbs threw a beautiful 28-yard strike to Hamilton for a touchdown out of a running formation in the second quarter, and had another touchdown called back on a throwback across his body to Xavier Grimble. Left tackle Brian Mihalik was called for holding while Dobbs had scrambled behind him.
Dobbs had a puny 56.9 passer rating but he made throws while scrambling to both his left and right. He struggled again with short passes, but showed accuracy in the intermediate and deep parts of the field.
His only true bust was the first interception, on which he appeared to have a communication breakdown with Darrius Heyward-Bey.
鈥淎 little rough at the beginning,鈥� Heyward-Bey told Steelers.com. 鈥淏ut he did a great job of staying calm in the huddle, keeping everybody else calm. That鈥檚 very important for a young quarterback.鈥�