Steelers Defense Looks Unstoppable in Win Over Broncos

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense held the Denver Broncos in check during their Week 2 contest.

Sep 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) lays on the turf after a sack in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers, riding high off of a Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, looked to move to 2-0 for the first time since 2020 as they hit the road for a matchup with the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

The Steelers accomplished just that, earning a 13-6 victory in a game that they largely maintained control of from the time of the opening kickoff.

Pittsburgh's defense was its usual dominant self, holding the Broncos to yards while recording six quarterback hits and disrupting the flow of their offense, rattling rookie signal caller Bo Nix at every turn.

Penalties ravaged the Steelers' offense, but they still found ways to put points on the board and command the clock with a strong performance on the ground. Justin Fields, Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris combined for 141 yards on 36 attempts while the former finished 13-of-20 through the air with his first passing touchdown of the season.

The Steelers won the coin toss and deferred, placing the ball in the hands of Nix to open the contest.

Pittsburgh's defense picked up where it left off in Week 1, as the unit forced a three-and-out following a pair of short runs and a seven-yard catch by Greg Dulcich.

The Steelers' offense matched Denver's output on their first series, as they were forced to punt following a three-and-out of their own.

Corliss Waitman, who previously appeared in two games with Pittsburgh in 2021, pinned the Broncos at their own 15-yard line. He signed with the team on Monday after Cameron Johnston suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.

The Steelers' pass rush stopped Denver in its tracks on the ensuing drive. Alex Highsmith worked his way into the backfield and got to Nix, who went down on a sack.

Pittsburgh received the ball at its own 22-yard line after a lengthy punt return by Calvin Austin III was wiped out due to a holding penalty.

Fields hooked up with George Pickens on a slant for either side's first fresh set of downs of the game before the Steelers' quarterback broke off a 16-yard run into Broncos territory.

Warren, whose touches were limited in Week 1 because of a hamstring injury, exploded through an open lane for an 11-yard run that advanced Pittsburgh into the red zone.

The Steelers made the most of their opportunity, as Fields hit Darnell Washington on a back shoulder throw for a five-yard touchdown, the offense's first of the season, to make it 7-0 with 1:56 left in the first quarter.

The Broncos pushed the ball past midfield for the first time on their next possession, though a Joey Porter Jr. pass breakup forced them to concede by punting for a third-consecutive drive.

Riley Dixon's kick checked up just before reaching the end zone, however, allowing Denver to down it at the Steelers' own 1-yard line.

Pittsburgh's offense lifted the threat of a safety on the back of its run game, but three penalties from Broderick Jones eliminated any chance of a fruitful series and ushered Waitman back on the field to punt with 7:13 to go in the second quarter.

Denver, looking to conjure up a productive series before halftime, pulled a quarterback draw out of its hat as Nix ran for 13 yards down to the Steelers' 42-yard line.

The Broncos' offensive line couldn't rein in T.J. Watt for long, however, as the star edge rusher brought down Nix and pulled them out of field goal range.

As a result, Denver head coach Sean Payton opted to keep the unit on the field on a 4th-and-7 from the Steelers' 39-yard line. Nix's rough day at the office continued on the attempt, as he was nearly picked off by Patrick Queen while turning the ball over on downs.

A pass interference call on Riley Moss moved Pittsburgh into the red zone with 21 seconds left in the quarter. A Van Jefferson offensive pass interference then wiped out a Pickens touchdown, and the Steelers ultimately settled for a Chris Boswell 22-yard field goal that put them up 10-0 at halftime.

Pittsburgh held an advantage over Denver in nearly every facet of the game during the first half. The Steelers out-gained the Broncos by over 100 yards (189 to 62), picked up 10 more first downs and won the time of possession battle by just under seven minutes.

The trio of Najee Harris, Warren and Fields combined for 98 yards on 18 carries, which was good for 5.3 per attempt through the opening two quarters. Pittsburgh's passing offense didn't hold anything back either, though a few critical infractions limited its production.

The Steelers couldn't get anything going on the first series of the second half, gifting Denver the ball at its own 20-yard line after Waitman's punt culminated in a touchback.

DeShon Elliott, one of the stars of Pittsburgh's victory over Atlanta, blew up a Javonte Williams run on 3rd-and-1 for a four-yard loss that, once again, brought out Denver's punt team.

With starting possession at their own 24-yard line, the Steelers' offense came up empty with a three-and-out and gave the ball right back to the Broncos.

A 49-yard catch by Josh Reynolds on a trick play brought Denver to Pittsburgh's 7-yard line on its next drive, but a Cory Trice Jr. interception in the end zone flipped the field and halted any momentum the Broncos may have built up to that point.

Patrick Surtain II was called for pass interference after jousting with Pickens on the first play of the following possession, carrying the Steelers into Denver territory at the 43-yard line. Boswell went on to nail a 53-yard field goal, extending the lead to 13-0 with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

Nix came up several yards short of the first-down marker on a 3rd-and-11 scramble during the Broncos' ensuing drive, leading to Dixon's fifth punt of the game.

With possession at the Steelers' 17-yard line, a risky throw over the middle from Fields on 3rd-and-12 was nearly picked off. It instead fell incomplete, drawing a punt that left the Broncos with the ball at their own 30-yard line.

A 22-yard reception by Reynolds on fourth-down advanced Denver into the red zone, though Pittsburgh stood tall and held it to a 35-yard field goal from Wil Lutz as the Steelers' lead was cut to 13-3.

The Broncos followed up by forcing a three-and-out on the other end, which gave their offense possession with 8:43 to go in the contest.

Denver failed to capitalize, however, as the Steelers also forced a three-and-out while getting the ball back at their own 19-yard line.

An unnecessary roughness penalty by P.J. Locke on Austin kept the drive alive for Pittsburgh, though a botched third-down snap near midfield led to another Waitman punt and subsequent touchback.

The Broncos found themselves in the red zone ahead of the two-minute warning, though the Steelers held them out of the end zone and forced them to settle for a field goal, making it 13-6 with 1:54 to play.

With just one timeout remaining, Denver surprisingly opted against attempting an onside kick. It got the ball back with nine seconds left, though the Steelers held on and clinched the win with a Damontae Kazee interception on the final play.

The Steelers remain alone at the top of the AFC North heading into their Week 3 home opener with another undefeated team in the Los Angeles Chargers. Opening kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. and coverage will air on CBS.

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