PITTSBURGH _ The Steelers broke open a close game with a second half surge to defeat the New York Jets, 31-13, on Sunday at Heinz Field.
The victory raised the Steelers record to 4-1. The Jets fell to 1-4.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns. Sammie Coates caught six passes for 139 yards and two scores. Antonio Brown and Jesse James caught the other two touchdown passes.
The Steelers opened a 24-13 lead when Roethlisberger hit Brown for a 5-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. They added another when Coates caught a 5-yard TD pass with 1:46 left in the game.
The Jets' defense averted another score when, with a second down at the Jets' 14, defensive end Leonard Williamson punched the ball out of Roethlisberger's hand in the pocket and it bounced into the hands of Sheldon Richardson for a sack and a fumble. It was New York's only sack of the game.
The Steelers led 17-13 after three quarters.
A 33-yard punt return by Brown set up the Steelers' first score in the second half. Starting at the Jets' 31, Roethlisberger threw three passes, one complete for two yards and Chris Boswell kicked a 47-yard field goal for a 17-13 lead.
The Steelers scored late in the second quarter to take a 14-13 halftime lead.
The Jets had scored twice in the second quarter for a 13-7 lead before Roethlisberger threw his second touchdown pass of the game, for 1 yard to tight end Jesse James with 41 seconds left.
That culminated an 11-play, 75 yard drive in 1:25 after the Jets had scored a touchdown with 2:06 left. Before James scored, Coates dropped what would have been his second TD.
Nick Folk kicked his second field goal for the Jets, this one from 48 yards, to close the Steelers' lead to 7-6.
The Steelers bungled what had been a promising drive later in the quarter. On third-and-two at New York's 28, Coates dropped a pass at the 7.
Boswell lined up to kick a 48-yard field goal, but instead it was a fake. Holder Jordan Berry ran around right end, seeking two yards for the first down. He was tackled short and fumbled out of bounds. An illegal formation penalty would have canceled that play anyway.
The Jets then took over and drove 69 yards to a touchdown. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall that was tipped when cornerback Ross Cockrell failed to intercept.
Roethlisberger threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Coates to give the Steelers a 7-3 lead after one quarter.
Fitzpatrick moved the Jets niftly in the game's first series to a first down at the Steelers' 26. But at the 17, they failed to convert a third-and-one and coach Todd Bowles opted for a 35-yard field goal from Folk to grab a 3-0 lead.
The lead lasted one minute and 29 seconds, or until Roethlisberger hit Coates for the 72-yard TD. It came on third-and-seven, and Coates beat Marcus Williams to catch the ball at the Jets' 32 along the right sideline, then hightailed it into the end zone.
