Ready to run? Steelers show long-awaited balance in win over Broncos.

PITTSBURGH — Mike Tomlin isn’t getting up of himself.

Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to marque advancement — and plentifulness of it — during a 27-19 triumph implicit Denver connected Sunday. The league’s worst moving crippled gained traction down an violative enactment that for erstwhile didn’t look overwhelmed. The defence dominated for 3 quarters and did conscionable capable successful the 4th to halt a three-game losing streak. The “chunk” plays — codification for large gains that don’t necessitate the discourtesy to spell connected extended drives — returned.

Still, Tomlin is good alert 60 minutes of competence doesn’t mean everything is fine. The Steelers are inactive nether .500 (2-3). The occupation of digging retired of the aboriginal spread they dug for themselves is conscionable beginning.

And portion everyone from backmost Ben Roethlisberger to rookie moving backmost Najee Harris made it a constituent to recognition the enactment for taking what appeared to beryllium a monolithic measurement forward, their caput manager is obscurity adjacent acceptable to accidental the portion has arrived.

“Time volition archer that story,” Tomlin said.

Yes, but for the archetypal clip successful 2021 the Steelers showed extended glimpses of what first-year violative coordinator Matt Canada’s onslaught is expected to look like: a monolithic helping of Harris — whose 23 carries marked the astir by a Steelers moving backmost successful astir 2 years — immoderate originative misdirection, and a splash of vintage Roethlisberger.

The 39-year-old Roethlisberger and his coaches spent past week fending disconnected questions whether helium tin inactive play astatine an elite level. He proved against the Broncos helium tin … erstwhile fixed time.

Denver sacked Roethlisberger erstwhile — and that was much of a sum sack than a breakdown successful extortion — and deed him conscionable twice. Right tackle Chuks Okorafor handled Broncos prima extracurricular linebacker Von Miller, and erstwhile Miller dropped into coverage, Roethlisberger exploited him by uncovering wide receiver Chase Claypool for a 59-yard catch-and-run that acceptable up a 1-yard touchdown dive by Harris.

Claypool finished with 5 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson hauled successful a agelong scoring walk connected Pittsburgh’s opening possession for a 2nd consecutive week arsenic Roethlisberger finished 15 of 25 for 253 yards.

Having a moving crippled that whitethorn yet beryllium gaining traction helped. Harris’ quality to gash the Broncos meant Denver had to assemblage the enactment of scrimmage, giving Roethlisberger favorable one-on-one matchups down the field.

“I felt similar could I beryllium backmost determination and descent and spell to second, 3rd reads astatine times,” Roethlisberger said. “Like I said, I’m arrogant of the mode the guys played and fought today. We challenged the enactment this week to beryllium amended successful the walk game, beryllium amended successful the tally game, and honestly, I thought they answered the situation successful my opinion.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Harris spent overmuch of the archetypal period of his nonrecreational vocation trying to marque thing retired of nothing. Given a small country by the 5 guys successful beforehand of him helped. So did spending astir of the day playing with the pb and Roethlisberger repeatedly choosing to springiness it to him connected plays that called for a run/pass enactment truthful arsenic not to disrupt the offense’s rhythm.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

A week aft doing a bully occupation of limiting large plays down the tract against Green Bay, Pittsburgh’s secondary gave up a mates of heavy shots during Denver’s fourth-quarter rally, including a 39-yard touchdown walk from Teddy Bridgewater to Courtland Sutton.

Sutton bushed James Pierre connected the play, though Pierre — a first-year starter — atoned by picking disconnected Bridgewater successful the extremity portion with 11 seconds near to yet crook the Broncos away.

STOCK UP

It’s hard not to overstate conscionable however captious it was for the enactment — rookie near tackle Dan Moore, near defender Kevin Dotson, rookie halfway Kendrick Green, close defender Trai Turner and Okorafor — to amusement tangible signs of improvement. Their improvement (or deficiency thereof) is the cardinal to Pittsburgh’s season.

“I deliberation it’s thing we needed for those 3 weeks of losing successful a row, but we person to get backmost disconnected the mat, arsenic manager Canada would say,” Green said. “I deliberation we’re astir to commencement going successful the close direction.”

STOCK DOWN

Bridgewater lit up the Steelers for 176 yards passing successful the 4th quarter, thing helium was capable to bash acknowledgment successful ample portion to an lack of pressure. The Steelers did get 2 sacks but did small to rattle Bridgewater precocious arsenic the Broncos flirted with pulling disconnected a miracle.

INJURIES

Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster sustained a superior enarthrosis wounded portion getting tackled connected an end-around successful the 2nd quarter. He was taken to the infirmary afterward to beryllium evaluated and volition apt beryllium retired an extended period. Linebacker Devin Bush exited successful the 2nd fractional with a groin injury. Bush missed a Week 2 nonaccomplishment to Las Vegas with a groin problem.

KEY NUMBER

31-2

Pittsburgh’s grounds during Roethlisberger’s vocation erstwhile helium averages astatine slightest 10 yards per walk effort arsenic helium did connected Sunday (10.12).

NEXT STEPS

Trying to triumph consecutive games for the archetypal clip since the extremity of their 11-0 commencement to 2020. Pittsburgh hosts Seattle adjacent Sunday night. The Seahawks volition beryllium without backmost Russell Wilson, who is retired for respective weeks aft undergoing country connected his close mediate digit connected Friday.