Aaron Rodgers only threw one touchdown pass for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens, but he made it count.
With the Steelers down 24-20 to the Ravens and only one minute left in the game, Rodgers and his teammates huddled up. He’d just thrown a pair of incompletions, setting up a third and 10 from Baltimore’s 26-yard line.
Rodgers had struggled to connect with Calvin Austin III all game, completing just two of his six passes to him for 29 yards at that point. Austin was supposed to be Pittsburgh’s top receiver with DK Metcalf out, so Rodgers made sure to keep him involved.
Rodgers didn’t lose faith in his young receiver, asking what kind of look he wanted in the huddle.
“On this particular huddle conversation, I said, ‘What do you want, Cal?'” Rodgers said. Austin didn’t give him a straight answer, but one of his teammates interjected. “Man, just go cook him.”
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Sure enough, that’s what Austin did. He ran down the left sideline, faking in before going back to the sideline. That little move burned Ravens cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who stumbled and briefly lost his footing. Austin blew right past him, getting wide open for a go-ahead 26-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers.
It was only Austin’s third touchdown of the season and his first since Week 3, but it couldn’t have come at a better time.
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Chris Boswell missed the extra point, but it didn’t matter. The Steelers held on for the 26-24 win after Tyler Loop missed the game-winning field goal as time expired, sending Pittsburgh to the playoffs.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images