The Steelers had two new starters on the right side of their offensive line, and it showed in the running game until James Conner broke off a 59-yard run in the final minute.
But Ben Roethlisberger was sacked only once and said he had no worries how right tackle Chuks Okorafor and rookie guard Kevin Dotson would perform in Sunday’s 26-21 victory against the Denver Broncos.
“I had confidence coming in that they would,” Roethlisberger said. “Those guys put the time, the effort, in. Obviously we knew that Chuks is a guy that was battling with Banner for the chance to start this year, so we know what he's capable of doing. He's played in the past for us. And as for (Kevin) Dotson, we were excited for him. I mean, the young man grew up a Steelers fan.”
Okorafor was making only his fourth career start at tackle. Dotson, who was replacing injured David DeCastro and Stefen Wisniewski, received a game ball for his performance.
“He told me his dad watches [the game] in his man cave upstairs,” Roethlisberger said. “I was just so happy that he got out there and got the play. I gave the ball to him afterward and told him to give it to his old man. I'm just really thankful for him and all those guys and the whole line all together.”
Heating up just in time
It was a roller-coaster final drive for third-year strong safety Terrell Edmunds. In a span of five plays, Edmunds went from bailing out the Broncos with a pass interference penalty on third-and-long, then shutting down their scoring chance with a sack on fourth-and-2.
“I’d rushed a few times. When I had to come down, I was like, ‘If I’m open, I’ve got to make the play,’” Edmunds said with a smile.
Just before that, he seemed to shake off the flag thrown on him that kept a Broncos drive alive. He and his teammates were telling each other, “We love this; let’s go out and make a play.”
Edmunds made it, cementing a second consecutive win for a defense that bent at times but found a way not to break. It’s a big season for Edmunds, the 2018 first-round pick who remains a starter but will have to make more plays than ever to ensure that the team exercises his fifth-year option next offseason.
At least one offensive player who’s new to this Steelers team has quickly learned not to doubt Edmunds and the rest of the unit that led the league in takeaways last year.
“I expect nothing less, honestly. Wasn’t a bone in my body shaking,” new tight end Eric Ebron said with a laugh, “other than the cold ones, because we get the shadow on our side[line]. We were over there freezing a little bit.”
Watt on Watt
Joining Ebron as a key addition to the offense this year is fullback Derek Watt, older brother of star pass-rusher T.J.
Watt was on the field as the lead-blocker for tailback James Conner when he ripped off his game-sealing 59-yard run, but he also managed to score a couple points in his debut at Heinz Field.
Early in the fourth quarter, Broncos punter Sam Martin dropped into his end zone but bobbled the snap. Before he could get off a kick, Watt was there taking him down for a safety, which made it 26-14 Steelers, with 10:01 to go.
“It was huge to be able to have what I think should be listed as a sack-fumble,” T.J. said with a grin. “I don't know how they’ll put it in the stat book.”
Officially, it just goes down as a safety, but T.J. will call it a “game-changing play.” That’s what they brought his middle brother in for, and he wasn't the only Watt who stood out the week before oldest brother J.J. comes to town with the Texans.
T.J. did his usual damage with 4 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks. In Houston, J.J. posted two sacks of his own, although he couldn’t help his brothers by beating the Baltimore Ravens. To top it off, J.J.’s wife, Kealia Ohai Watt, scored two goals in a win for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Hilton sacks the competition
At 5-feet-8 and 183 pounds, nickel corner Mike Hilton likely doesn’t strike fear into many opposing offensive linemen. But his size, or lack thereof, hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of the NFL’s top sackers among defensive backs.
Hilton added another sack Sunday afternoon against the Broncos, giving him two in the first two games of the season. He has 8 ½ sacks since 2017, the second-most among NFL defensive backs in that time.
Oh Canada
Chase Claypool’s 84-yard touchdown was the fourth-longest by a rookie in Steelers history, but it also becomes the longest touchdown by a Canadian-born player in NFL history.
Claypool said he knew when the play was called in the huddle that he might have a chance to make a big play.
“I knew I had a pretty good chance to get the ball,” he said. “I just had to win the route.”
The long pass by Ben Roethlisberger was his ninth touchdown of 80 yards or more in his career.
Inactive watch
Coach Mike Tomlin got the rule right this week, making only five players inactive for the game.
In addition to DeCastro (knee), who could return against the Houston Texans, the Steelers’ inactives were quarterback Josh Dobbs, linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III, defensive lineman Carlos Davis and tight end Zach Gentry.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko. Gerry Dulac: gdulac@post-gazette.com and Twitter @gerrydulac. Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: September 20, 2020, 11:23 p.m.