The Pittsburgh Steelers had been 18-10 winners over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and so they have two models of their group to thank for it.
Their protection, which pressured three takeaways and ruined Kick Cousins’ Atlanta debut, was one in all them.
The opposite was kicker Chris Boswell who had one of many very best days a kicker may have within the NFL.
Boswell not solely kicked six area objectives to account for each Steelers level, he was an ideal 6-for-6 on the day in making all of his makes an attempt. Together with that, three of these area objectives had been past 50 yards (57, 51 and 56 yards).
That might have been sufficient to make him the participant of the sport, however he may need made an much more vital play than these massive kicks.
Which may have been a punt that he needed to make late within the fourth quarter with the Steelers clinging to a five-point lead.
With just below 4 minutes to play in regulation, the Steelers had been pressured to punt after being stopped on a third-and-long. The preliminary punt was delivered by Cameron Johnston on a play that resulted in him being run into and inflicting a major leg harm. The Steelers had been those penalized on the play for holding because the officers decided that was what triggered Johnston to be hit.
The Falcons accepted the holding penalty and compelled the Steelers to re-kick, understanding they didn’t have a punter.
That was the place Boswell got here in as an emergency punter and delivered a 43-yard punt to drive the Falcons again to their very own 40-yard line. On the second play of the following Falcons drive Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Donte Jackson, his second turnover of the sport.
Boswell has been one of many NFL’s greatest kickers from the time he arrived in Pittsburgh and probably the most correct kickers ever from past 50 yards. He confirmed all of that on Sunday, whereas additionally including in a brand new position.
