Four field goals by interim kicker Matthew Wright and an emotional first touchdown by rookie Connor Heyward headlined a 19-16 win for the Steelers over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Pittsburgh led 19-6 until Marcus Mariota connected with MyCole Pruitt for a score late in the third quarter. Younghoe Koo nailed a 28-yard field goal to pull the Falcons within three, but the comeback would end there. Punter Pressly Harvin III buried Atlanta at their own two with 39 seconds left, and an errant pass by Mariota was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick, who wisely ran it out of bounds. Kenny Pickett knelt twice to seal the Steelers second straight win.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said winning two straight is important.
Tomlin adds that he was impressed with his offensive line.
Pickett put up impressive numbers in the game, going 16-for-28 with 197 yards and a touchdown. He said his offense got off to a fast start, which helped them.
Pickett adds that the team’s hard work is paying off.
It was an emotional day for brothers Cam and Connor Heyward. Not only did the pair grow up in Atlanta, their late father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward, graduated from PITT and played three seasons with the Falcons. Even making a Pro Bowl during the 1995 season. He unfortunately passed away in May 2006 at age 39.
Both visited Ironhead’s grave prior to Sunday’s game, and through divine intervention, Connor, who the Steelers drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, notched his first career touchdown in the second quarter.
The eldest of the two said he was emotional following his brother’s touchdown.
Connor described the feeling of getting his first career score.
The Steelers improve to 5-7 and face AFC North foe Baltimore next week, a 10-9 winner over Denver.
In other AFC North action, the Browns came back to beat the Texans, and the Bengals edged the Chiefs, 27-24, in a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game.
Week 13 of the NFL season wraps up tonight with the Saints taking on the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.
