Fourteen points in 15 seconds.
Just like that, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the lead at MetLife Stadium.
Thanks to a forced fumble from running back Kenneth Gainwell on the kickoff after a Jaylen Warren touchdown that wide receiver Ben Skowronek recovered, Aaron Rodgers fired his fourth touchdown pass of the game, hitting a wide-open Calvin Austin III to give the Steelers the lead in the fourth quarter.
After signing a one-year deal in free agency with the Steelers, Gainwell has worked his way into a key role in Pittsburgh. He was already a good special teams player during his time in Philadelphia, but in Pittsburgh he took on an expanded role at running back against the New York Jets, outsnapping Warren for much of the game.
That didn’t hinder his ability to make a play on special teams as he punched the ball out of Xavier Gipson’s hands. That led to Skowronek’s fumble recovery, giving Pittsburgh the spark it needed on a day in which the Steelers’ defense has really struggled.
Two plays after Skowronek’s fumble recovery, Rodgers hit a wide open Austin for an 18-yard touchdown, giving the Steelers the lead in the fourth quarter, 31-26. Prior to that, Rodgers found Skowronek, Jonnu Smith and Warren for touchdown passes, putting on a strong performance against his old team, which released him back in March.
The special teams takeaway came at a huge point for the Steelers as their units were a bit rough earlier in the game, giving up some big returns. But in a big spot, Gainwell made a play and Skowronek was there to jump on the football.
That gave the pigskin right back to a red-hot offense under Rodgers, leading to the score as the future Hall of Fame quarterback has cooked throughout the day, proving he still has plenty left in the tank.
