Steelers-Jets: Gerry Dulac's quarterly analysis

Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers insider Gerry Dulac shares his real-time notes from each quarter of Steelers-Jets:

Fourth quarter

• Since connecting on just 2 of his first 8 attempts, Russell Wilson has completed 13 of his past 20 throws for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

• Najee Harris goes off for a 34-yard run to the Jets 15, his third of at least 26 yards in the past two games.

• Van Jefferson’s first touchdown catch of the season comes in front of his dad, Shawn Jefferson, the Jets wide receiver coach.

• Steelers defense bends but doesn’t break again. After the Jets moved to the Steelers 25 on completions of 19 and 27 yards, Aaron Rodgers threw three consecutive incompletions, the last batted by defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, to take over on downs.

• In case you’re wondering, back-to-back 30-point games were accomplished for the first time since last season when Mason Rudolph did it in Week 16-17.

• An easy pitch and catch for 36 yards to Calvin Austin III gives Wilson five completions of at least 21 yards. Any more questions what his presence does for the pass game?

• Steelers closing in on 400 yards of offense. They have 387 with 3½ minutes left.

• That’s a good challenge by Mike Tomlin on Jaylen Warren being stopped when he was still being pushed forward for a first down. What happened to letting the play go?

• Even though they got the first down, not a smart move by Tomlin to go on 4th-and-inches at the Jets 19. A field goal makes it an 18-point game.

Third quarter

• Wilson has not been afraid to attack deep or over the middle of the field. A 37-yard completion to George Pickens on a pass that bounced off the helmet of cornerback Isaiah Oliver and a 21-yard completion on a great one-handed catch by Pat Freiermuth led to a Chris Boswell field goal and a 16-15 lead.

• Wilson has completed just 11 passes of 24 attempts but for 204 yards. He has four completions of at least 21 yards. Right now, he’s upstaging Rodgers.

• Beanie Bishop Jr. with a second interception and a 41-yard return to the Jets 1 after Rodgers’ pass bounced off the chest of Garrett Wilson, who was open down the left sideline.

• Is there some correlation between Bishop’s two picks in front of another undrafted player, Hall of Fame safety Donnie Shell, who led all safeties in interceptions at the time of his retirement?

• Wait, I thought only Justin Fields could have a rushing touchdown? Wilson sneaks in from the 1 to take a 24-15 lead.

• That’s three games in a row the Steelers have blocked a kick. This time, it was defensive end Dean Lowry blocking Greg Zuerlein’s 35-yard field goal that would have made it 23-18.

Second quarter

• Two bad misfires by Wilson on passes to Austin III, and the crowd is really restless. And the quarter just started.

• The field position hasn’t been bad for the Steelers. But the execution of the offense has.

• Finally, a 44-yard completion from Wilson to Pickens, who outpositioned cornerback Brandin Echols along the sideline for the catch. That got the crowd juiced.

• But after getting to the Jets 6, Harris lost 5 yards on a run and Boswell had to kick a 29-yard field goal.

• Lot of missed tackles on Breece Hall’s 57-yard catch and run to the Steelers 3, including Elandon Roberts, Patrick Queen and Donte Jackson. But great run by Hall to slip the tackles.

• Nifty fake and half-roll by Rodgers on 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Conklin. The really good throw was on the two-point conversion to Wilson. Simple but ... wow.

• I’m not sure that should have been a penalty of Minkah Fitzpatrick for blocking the extra point. They called him for “leverage,” which means a player stands on or use a teammate to jump off of to block a kick. Special teams coach Danny Smith, who was livid, didn’t think so.

• That drive started so well with a 30-yard catch and run by tight end Freiermuth to the Jets 40. But it ended so poorly when Wilson was sacked by Will McDonald, who went around Broderick Jones.

• Wilson hasn’t been shy about attacking deep. Just got a 29-yard pass interference penalty against cornerback Sauce Gardner on a deep throw to Pickens at the Jets 11.

• And that was a big-time throw from Wilson to Pickens for an 11-yard touchdown in the right corner. Pickens two-handed the catch over the top of Echols. Vintage Wilson throw.

First quarter

• Good evening from Acrisure Stadium, where the amount of Secret Service might easily outnumber the entire Jets roster.

• Wilson’s first drive results in a field goal. That’s a start.

• Shocker: Rodgers’ first pass was to Davante Adams.

• Well, that would’ve been two big plays by Larry Ogunjobi. First a sack on Rodgers to end the opening series, then stuffing Hall for a 1-yard loss on the first play of the next series. Unfortunately, he whipped Hall to the ground after the hit and was penalized 15 yards for a personal foul.

• Rodgers was 5 of 5 for 56 yards on the touchdown drive, mainly with quick throws and checkdowns. That’s what he does, then ... look out.

• Uh oh, already some boos after Wilson’s third-down incompletion.