As good as the Pittsburgh Steelers has been wire to wire, they’ve gotten even stronger after halftime. Through three games, they’ve pitched a pair of second-half shutouts and allowed just six points, a pair of field goals, after intermission. DL Cam Heyward credits that to DC Teryl Austin and a coaching staff for correcting any small leaks so they don’t sink the Steelers’ chances.
“We’re not kicking our own butt,” Heyward said via 93.7 The Fan Thursday. “We’re not creating problems. And we’re trying to, if we do have problems, we’re solving them pretty fast. I think our adjustments, especially in the second half, have been clear to why we’ve been winning.”
The only touchdowns Pittsburgh’s allowed this season have come in the first 30 minutes. A catch by Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts and long score by Los Angeles Chargers WR Quentin Johnston last Sunday, both times the Steelers having their zone coverage stressed and beat.
After the break, Pittsburgh’s dominance has only grown. The Falcons did nothing after moderate first-half success, their run game shut down following a promising first drive. Denver managed two field goals but was held out of the end zone while the Chargers recorded minus-five net yards in the third and fourth quarter, their QBs sacked five times across their 15 plays.
While Mike Tomlin leads the Steelers’ defense, Austin deserves credit, too. His impact since being hired in 2019 and promotion to coordinator in 2022 has been a positive one. The Steelers are more takeaway focused, and Austin is another bright secondary mind to help handle all the changes Pittsburgh’s had over the years.
That makes Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts an interesting one. While Pittsburgh has only allowed six points after halftime, the Colts have scored 44 of their 58 points this season in the final 30 minutes. That’s 75.8 percent of their total. Perhaps that’s an opportunity for Pittsburgh to build a rare early lead and force the Colts to get away from their running game later, giving the Steelers a clear advantage and chance to continue their second-half dominance.
