The Steelers made a quarterback change to kick off the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Jets, but it was the defense that sparked them to their first lead of the afternoon.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick nabbed a pass that caromed off of Jets tight end Tyler Conklin’s hands and celebrated after returning the ball into the end zone. Officials rightly ruled that Fitzpatrick was out of bounds on the Jets’ 4-yard-line, however, and that left Kenny Pickett to lead the offense in a bid to score their first touchdown of the day.
A short pass to tight end Zach Gentry and a Najee Harris run didn’t get them in, but Pickett was able to keep his feet moving on a sneak and he scored to lift the Steelers to a 13-10 lead with 7:18 to play in the third quarter.
Pickett’s first drive ended with an interception as a deep shot for Chase Claypool went off the wideout’s hands and into the waiting mitts of Jets safety Jordan Whitehead. They’ll hope for better results on future throws as they try to hold onto their lead.