NFL teams
Scott Brown, ESPN Pittsburgh Steelers reporter 9y

Rapid Reaction: Pittsburgh Steelers

A few thoughts on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 30-23 win over the Houston Texans on Monday at Heinz Field.

What it means: The Steelers saved their season with a second-quarter blitz, in which they scored 24 unanswered points, including 21 in the span of 1 minute, 22 seconds. The Steelers gave up nearly 400 yards of total offense and had to survive a late rally by the Texans and a harrowing onside kick attempt to improve to 4-3. They had been on the precipice earlier in the night when boos rained down after they fell behind 13-0. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 23 of 33 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Le'Veon Bell piled up 145 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The defense forced three turnovers and the Steelers won the special-teams battle.

Stock watch: A maligned defense rose to the occasion several times in the pivotal first half. It held the Texans to a pair of early field goals, including once after Roethlisberger lost a fumble at the Steelers' 46-yard line. The defense then led the charge late in the second quarter. Outside linebacker Jason Worilds forced a fumble and recovered it at the Texans' 3-yard line to set up the Steelers' go-ahead touchdown. After the ensuing kickoff, defensive end Brett Keisel intercepted a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass and returned it to the 8-yard line, setting up another touchdown at the end of the half.

Prime-time player: Martavis Bryant, dressing in his first NFL game, turned in the biggest play and showed that the stage isn't too big for the rookie wide receiver. Bryant caught a 35-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter, turning the game in ways no one could have imagined at the time. Bryant played early and often, shaking up things a bit at wide receiver. The fourth-round draft pick got a 1½ steps on Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye on a go route early in the game, but Roethlisberger overshot him. The two connected late in the second quarter after Bryant again got behind the Texans' secondary. Roethlisberger put enough air under the ball for Bryant to catch it and get two feet in bounds before crashing into the short wall behind the end zone.

Game ball: Keisel gets it for the plays he made when the Steelers seized control of the game. Keisel's quarterback pressure forced a third-down incompletion from Fitzpatrick late in the second quarter that led to a punt. Two plays later, Roethlisberger and Bryant hooked up for the Steelers' first touchdown of the game. With a minute left in the half, Keisel intercepted a pass that he initially tipped and returned it to the Texans' 8-yard line. That led to the touchdown that gave the Steelers a 24-13 lead.

Injury report: Right tackle Marcus Gilbert left the game in the second quarter with a possible concussion and did not return. Left tackle Kelvin Beachum left the game late in the third quarter with a shoulder injury but quickly returned. Rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier ran on the field before the game with trainer John Norwig, but the Steelers held their first-round pick out for a fourth consecutive game because of a sprained right knee.

What's next: The Steelers host the red-hot Indianapolis Colts on Sunday for a 4:25 p.m. ET game. The Colts have won five consecutive games after opening the season 0-2. Quarterback Andrew Luck has thrown for more than 300 yards in five consecutive games and has established himself as a legitimate MVP candidate.

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