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A16 sports
Monday 28 SepteMber 2020
Steelers stay perfect, keep Texans winless in 28-21 victory

By WILL GRAVES ing Houston opened with
AP Sports Writer road trips to Kansas City
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The and Pittsburgh sandwiched
Pittsburgh Steelers spent around a home visit by the
two quarters trying to hem reigning Super Bowl cham-
in Deshaun Watson. It didn't pions.
take. After watching the "We've got 13 more
Houston quarterback move games," said Watson, who
the Texans up and down finished 19 of 27 for 264
Heinz Field with remarkable yards with two touchdowns
ease, the Steelers blew and the interceptions. "So
up their meticulously put- it's a lot of opportunities out
together game plan and there. We've got to keep
went back to their default building and keep pushing
setting: attack. forward."
Might want to stick with that PASSING "IRON MIKE"
one. Probably for good. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlis-
Slicing into the backfield berger threw for 237 yards
relentlessly, the Steelers put and two touchdowns in his
the clamps on the Texans in franchise-record 221st ap-
the second half to rally for pearance, breaking the
a 28-21 victory that pushed record set by Hall of Fame
them to 3-0 for the first time center Mike Webster. The
in a decade. Houston man- Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner (30) stretches for the end zone to score as Houston 38-year-old even paid trib-
aged just 51 yards and two Texans strong safety Justin Reid (20) tries to bring him down in the second half of an NFL football ute to Webster by throw-
game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Pittsburgh.
first downs over in the final Associated Press ing a block on Houston
30 minutes to fall to 0-3. linebacker Jacob Martin
"We didn't blink, man," off the final 4:47 that be- yards rushing and added team," Conner said. "Our on wide receiver Diontae
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin gan with a 25-yard dash 40 yards receiving. He had defense allowed us to get Johnson's 9-yard reverse in
said. by Conner and ended with plenty of help from rookie back in it and ... (if) you get the second quarter.
The Texans blinked plenty. three anticlimatic knee Anthony McFarland, who us back on offense, we're Roethlisberger gave the
Houston's defense wilted downs inside the Houston ran for 42 yards on six car- going to get it going sooner credit for his longevity to the
late, giving up a 12-play, 10. ries in his NFL debut and or later." men who have protected
79-yard touchdown drive "You're not going to win Benny Snell Jr., who con- DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN? him throughout the years
following a pick by Watson, football doing what we do verted a key third-and-1 on Houston opened 0-3 in 2018 and stressed he doesn't be-
one that ended with James in the fourth quarter these the go-ahead touchdown and rallied to win the AFC lieve he's eclipsed Webster.
Conner's 12-yard sprint that last two weeks, giving up all drive. After opening the South. The going might be "He's 'Iron Mike' for a rea-
put the Steelers up 28-21 of these runs," said Texans season with two relatively tougher this season if the son," Roethlisberger said.
with 6:24 to go. Pittsburgh defensive end J.J. Watt, drama-free wins, the Steel- defense can't find a way "They're never going to
forced its third three-and- whose team let the Ravens ers needed to overcome to hold up over 60 minutes. call me 'Iron Ben,' I get
out of the second half on push them around late in a an early 11-point deficit to Then again, the schedule that. ... It's not like I passed
Houston's next possession lopsided loss in Week 2. stay perfect. hasn't exactly been user him, I feel like I joined him
and the Steelers then ran Conner finished with 109 "We're a four-quarter friendly either consider- today."q

Jays lose finale to Orioles 7-5, will face Rays in playoffs

Jays to the eighth and fi- games because of a sore to move up in the stand-
nal seed in the AL playoffs. knee. He walked in the first, ings. They couldn't make
Toronto will open a three- hit an RBI double in the third, an early 4-1 lead hold up.
game series in Tampa Bay and singled and scored in Mullins hit a two-run triple in
on Tuesday. the fifth. He lined out in the the fourth and scored on a
All in all, it's a vast improve- seventh and struck out in sacrifice fly by Austin Hays.
ment on 2019, when the the ninth. Rio Ruiz and Pat Valaika
Blue Jays finished a distant Mullins was denied a home had RBI base hits in the fifth
fourth at 67-95. They were run when Blue Jays outfield- and a third run scored on
4-6 against Tampa Bay this er Jonathan Davis made a Hanser Alberto's ground
season. sensational leaping catch out. Gurriel doubled in the
Renato Núñez reached for the final out of the sec- second, homered in the
base three times in his re- ond. Davis sprinted into third, singled in the sixth,
turn to the lineup and Ce- the corner and stretched and doubled again in the
dric Mullins hit two triples for above the wall to rob Mull- eighth.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Travis Shaw, left, catches a foul the Orioles. ins, managing to hold on to Baltimore's Travis Lakins Sr.
ball hit by a Baltimore Orioles batter during the sixth inning of a Baltimore (25-35) also im- the ball as he fell onto the (3-2) pitched two scoreless
baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Buffalo, N.Y. proved on a last-place fin- warning track. innings for the win. Cesar
Associated Press ish in 2019, when they went Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had four Valdez worked the ninth
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Sunday in their regular sea- 54-108. By winning their fi- hits, including a two-run for his third save in three
Toronto Blue Jays are set son finale. nale, the Orioles ensured home run, and Vladimir chances.
to face the Tampa Bay The Orioles denied Toronto they finished one game Guerrero Jr. added a solo Toronto's Shun Yamaguchi
Rays in the first round of the (32-28) a chance to finish ahead of Boston for fourth. shot for the Blue Jays, who (2-4) took the loss, allowing
postseason after losing to second in the AL East and Núñez started at DH after needed a victory and a Mi- three runs and four hits in
the Baltimore Orioles 7-5 on instead relegated the Blue missing the previous three ami win over the Yankees two innings.q