Austin, Watt Win AFC Honors

“Can’t say enough about Calvin,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the game. “I thought that’s a big play, that punt return. It was a catalyst for us.

“I talked to Calvin on the third try before he took the field. He had just been close for a couple of weeks. I thought it was his time. He thought it was his time. He delivered.”

Austin said after the fight that when Tomlin told him it was his time, he knew he wanted to do something.

“I went 17 games last year and didn’t return a punt,” said Austin, who won the award for the first time in his career. “It’s not myself and the standard I hold myself to. So getting in there was almost like a sigh of relief.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed about last year and the beginning of this year, because it’s something I have to do. So I’m very blessed and thank God that I was able to come until the end. But it’s something that, to me, should happen more often.”

Watt had seven tackles, two sacks, including a strip-sack that he recovered near the end of the game. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

With the Steelers leading, 26-18, quarterback Russell Wilson fumbled with 4:30 left in the game, and the Giants recovered at the Steelers’ 37-yard line. Five plays later, Watt was blocked one-on-one by Giants tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and got to Giants quarterback Daniel Jones for the strip-sack and recovery. Earlier this week, Eluemunor had said he wanted to be on ‘an island’ with Watt.