Over the first 30 minutes of game time on Monday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants combined for six field goals and a 0-for-5 showing in the red zone.
Calvin Austin III didn't need a red zone.
The third-year speedster broke the field-goal fest wide open when he raced 73 yards for a punt return touchdown and added a TD catch to propel Pittsburgh past New York, 26-18, at Acrisure Stadium.
"I went up to him after he scored the touchdown and said it was a matter of time and I knew he was going to get it soon," Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith said of his message to Austin after his PR score. "He's a guy who comes in every day, he works his butt off, he's humble, he's level-headed, and he's a great dude, and so seeing him get those two touchdowns today, especially that punt return, was awesome. Again, that's just huge for him, so I'm happy for him, and he's a heck of a player."
With his punt return for a score and his subsequent 29-yard touchdown catch, Austin became just the second player in the last three seasons with receiving and punt return touchdowns in the same game, per NFL Research. He was also the second in as many days as the other was the Detroit Lions' Kalif Raymond, who achieved the same feat in Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans.
"Can't say enough about Calvin, man, I just thought that's a big play," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game. "That punt return was a catalyst for us."
Backpedaling to field a punt at the Pittsburgh 27-yard line, Austin broke left to the sideline, slipping a diving tackle attempt and then hitting the afterburners up the field. He weaved inside, using his blockers perfectly before breaking back left to score the game's first touchdown and bringing the stadium to its feet with 4:38 to go in the third quarter.
On the Steelers' ensuing drive, quarterback Russell Wilson dropped a beauty of a ball perfectly to Austin for a 29-yard score.
The Steelers took a 23-9 lead after Austin's TD catch and the subsequent Chris Boswell extra point.
Though the game was hardly over as the Giants would mount a comeback, Austin ignited the Steelers, putting sixes on the scoreboard after three Boswell field goals in the first half despite three red zone appearances.
The punt return was a welcomed boost on Monday for Pittsburgh, but something Austin's teammates and coaches were waiting for him to do for some time.
Coming into Week 8, Austin was averaging 9.5 yards over 14 returns. His best showings came over the first four weeks, including a 30-yard return in Week 4.
"I talked to Calvin on third down before he took the field," Tomlin said, "he'd just been close for a couple weeks, and I thought it was his time, and he thought it was his time, and he delivered."
And then he delivered again with the touchdown catch.
A 2022 NFL Draft fourth-round pick out of Memphis, Austin recorded the first punt return TD of his career on Monday and his two total scores matched his previous career tally.
"You know, we've been talking about it all week, (special teams) coach Danny (Smith), my teammates, it was just a perfect block, perfect setup," Austin told NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo after the game. "You know that was for them guys."
Ahead of their bye week, the Steelers sit atop the AFC North, having won their third straight game. Austin was the spark in Pittsburgh's latest triumph.
