PITTSBURGH — It was an evening — a whole week, really — to fete Franco Harris, but Saturday night, the current Steelers paid him the ultimate tribute.
Najee Harris ran hard like his namesake, Cam Heyward played inspired from beginning to end and rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett came through with a clutch game-winning drive to push the Steelers past the Raiders, 13-10, turning what was almost a nightmare before Christmas into an immaculate finish at Acrisure Stadium.
The possibility of a winning season and faint playoff hopes remain for the Steelers (7-8) after their second consecutive win, 50 years and one day after the Immaculate Reception. This victory wasn’t as momentous as the first postseason win in franchise history, but they had to claw their way from an early deficit, and claw they did. Crawling might be more apt to describe an offense that endured hearty boos at times before saving its best for last.
Pickett threw for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 26-of-44 passing, seeing his first extensive action since Dec. 4 against Atlanta. He was knocked out just two series into the last game here at Acrisure Stadium, against the Ravens, then missed the Panthers game last week with a concussion.
The comeback was on when Pickett started at his own 24 with 2:55 to go, facing a 10-6 deficit. He made good use of three other faces of the Steelers’ future, Pat Freiermuth, Harris and George Pickens. It was Pickens who capped it with a 14-yard touchdown catch on a laser from Pickett down the seam.
Pickens pulled it right in for the score, and it didn’t have to carom off his or anyone else’s hands into the outstretched arms of a star running back hustling behind the play. This one was a win to remember all the same.
It was over when
Cornerback Cam Sutton picked off Carr on a deep ball intended for Hunter Renfrow with 29 seconds left. It was a great, leaping grab by Sutton, one last flourish to make it a magical moment for the fans bold enough to see it up close and those watching from the comfort of their homes. The Steelers needed one first down to ice it, and rookie tight end Connor Heyward did the honors with a 21-yard scamper on an end-around.
Player of the game
Cam Heyward. No player in the organization can speak more on the impact of Harris than Heyward, a Pittsburgh native who stands for everything the Steelers represent. It’s fitting he was a force from start to finish, playing inspired on a night to honor a legend. Heyward had a sack on the first possession of the game, a batted ball at the line of scrimmage on third down and a second sack in the fourth quarter. Those are just the counting stats for Heyward. Beyond the box score, he was taking on his typical diet of double teams and collapsing the pocket.
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Arthur Maulet. Maulet’s playing time has fluctuated this season as a slot cornerback — the Steelers don’t trust him in as many situation as they did his predecessor, Mike Hilton — but he has shown a proclivity to be a spark plug at times when the defense needs it. Maulet tipped a Carr pass to himself and turned a pass breakup into an interception, his first since signing with the Steelers in 2021. He missed another big-play opportunity for himself on a corner blitz midway through the fourth quarter but got there quick enough to flush Carr into a sack by Cam Heyward that lost 10 yards.
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Chris Boswell. With two missed field goals, from 43 and 52 yards, Boswell now is 15 of 22 on the season. He converted from 44 and 40 yards, but his seven misses tie for his career high, although he also missed five extra points in that 2018 campaign. The cold was a factor and coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to try for 3 on fourth-and-4 at the Raiders 34 was questionable, but Boswell’s reliability has taken a hit since becoming the league’s second-highest-paid kicker this offseason.
Next up
The final road trip of the regular season, and another holiday game, at Baltimore on New Year’s Day.
