'Resiliency': Steelers CBs Built for Game-Winning Moments

PITTSBURGH -- Raiders star wideout Devante Adams looked primed to subject the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary to a long night of chasing him around Allegiant Stadium when he ran right past Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson to score a 32-yard touchdown on fourth and one midway through the first quarter.

But the script was flipped quickly and it was the Steelers cornerbacks who got the last laugh after picking off Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo three times in a 23-18 win on Sunday Night Football. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt credited Peterson, Wallace and the rest of the secondary for their clutch plays down the stretch.

“That’s what we’re about. We’re about resiliency," Watt said. "If you see the wide receivers that we have on our team, they get their plays in practice too, they get their plays in training camp and our guys always bounce back. We always appreciate a challenge and I’m proud of those guys because I see that every day.”

Wallace closed his evening with a pair of interceptions - including one that sealed the game with under a minute left - six tackles and four total passes defended after trailing Adams for most of the night. Peterson added an interception of his own and five tackles. Even rookie Joey Porter Jr. was an important contributor, making two tackles and defending Adams himself for stretches.

The cornerbacks had taken their licks through the first two weeks of the season, when they looked like one of the weak spots in an otherwise elite defense. But against the Raiders, they were equal parts of a stifling defensive effort.

They were even able to recover from a controversial roughing the passer penalty on safety Minkah Fitzpatrick that led to a touchdown which cut the Steelers' fourth-quarter lead in half.

“I don’t even know what to say about that,” Watt said of the call.

Watt, who sacked Garoppolo twice, said the four total team sacks, five tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits were all made possible by strong play on the back end.

“I think we did a good job of keeping him under duress and it helps when we can pin our ears back," Watt said. "Obviously, when the guys on the back end are playing as well as they did tonight, it helps to have that quarterback hold it for a split second longer.”

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