The Giants were in prime position after tying the score at 9 heading into halftime and then receiving the opening kickoff of the second half. But the offense lost the rhythm it had in the first half, mostly due to pass protection breakdowns. The Giants were held scoreless in the third quarter, which shouldn’t have been a surprise since the Steelers haven’t allowed a point in the third quarter this season.
The lone points of the third quarter came on a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown by Calvin Austin to give the Steelers a 16-9 lead. Pittsburgh drove to add another touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 29-yard TD pass from Russell Wilson to Austin on a slot fade over Dru Phillips.
The Giants secondary, which is playing without benched No. 1 corner Deonte Banks, gave up two long completions on the drive.