Whether it is from film study, or just simply having a feeling that things are going to right for you, sometimes players know when they are about to hit it big. That was the case for Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III in Week 3.
Austin shared a text conversation he had with his friends prior to the Steelers’ game against the Los Angeles Chargers on his Instagram story, and he called his shot for a big-play touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, to effectively seal victory for the Steelers, Austin caught a pass from Justin Fields up the middle of the field and won the foot race to the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown. Below is the play, posted by the Steelers on X.
Before his big touchdown on Sunday, Austin had scored just 3 touchdowns in his NFL career. That makes predicting the house call all the more impressive as he was an afterthought in the Steelers’ offense through the first two weeks. After combining for 2 receptions on 4 targets for 13 yards in Weeks 1 and 2, Austin had a 4-reception, 95-yard game with a touchdown.
He showed off the game-breaking speed that made him such an intriguing addition to the team back when the Steelers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Austin told the media after the game that he knew he was going to score once he saw the end zone. The hook defender chose to take away George Pickens underneath, which left Austin open. Teams may opt for a different tactic moving forward after seeing what Austin is capable of while streaking up the middle of the field. He ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
Hopefully, his inclusion in the game plan is a sign of things to come. The Steelers could sure use somebody other than Pickens to stretch the field to give the offense more options and more room to run the ball with safeties being forced to respect the deep ball.
After a relatively quiet training camp and preseason, Calvin Austin III could end up having a breakout season after all.
