Steelers rally in 2nd half, inch past Rams to keep pace in AFC North

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Off to another customary slow start, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense extended its slumber through three quarters Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.

That’s when the wake-up alarm finally went off against the Los Angeles Rams.

Just in time, as it turned out.

The Steelers dominated the Rams in the final 15 minutes, scoring two touchdowns and then running out the final 5:28 to pull off a 24-17 comeback victory.

In all, the Steelers scored three touchdowns — a season high — in the second half to overcome 9-3 and 17-10 deficits and win for the first time ever against the Rams in Los Angeles. They had been 0-10 in the regular season when playing the Rams on the West Coast.

“We’ve got a group of fighters,” center Mason Cole said after the Steelers won their second consecutive game to improve to 4-2. “This team is never going to back down. We’re not coached to back down. Coach (Mike Tomlin) challenges us to fight, and I feel like that’s what we did today.

“They started to give in the fourth quarter, and it was good to see.”

It also was unexpected considering how the first three quarters unfolded. Held to a field goal in the first half, the Steelers used T.J. Watt’s interception return to set up a short touchdown drive early in the third quarter yet had only 110 yards of offense heading into the fourth.

Jaylen Warren scored on a 13-yard run with 13:49 left to tie the score. Najee Harris scored on a 3-yard burst with 7:20 left to put the Steelers ahead 24-17. After forcing the Rams (3-4) to punt, the Steelers got two first downs and ran out the clock.

“Everything we’ve been working toward, you saw it in the fourth quarter,” quarterback Kenny Pickett said.

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Pickett, who had a 1-yard touchdown dive to provide the Steelers with a 10-9 lead after the Watt interception, saved his best for last, which is becoming his forte. In the fourth quarter, he completed all nine of his passes for 140 yards. The Steelers totaled 190 yards and possessed the ball for nearly 12 minutes in the final quarter.

At 4-2, the Steelers remain a half-game behind Baltimore (5-2) in the AFC North. Their next three games are at Acrisure Stadium.

“You’re always looking for positives,” Pickett said. “The way we played in the fourth quarter is something we can build on.”

George Pickens caught five passes for 107 yards, his second consecutive 100-yard game. Diontae Johnson, fresh off injured reserve, had five receptions for 79 yards. Both players, though, were hit with taunting penalties that could have short-circuited drives in the fourth quarter. Pickens also was called for a blindside block that wiped out a long gain by Johnson in the first half.

“We have to clean up some things from managing our emotions,” Tomlin said. “But I’d rather say ‘woah’ than ’sic em.’ We have some guys who are competitors. They’ve just got to compete in the appropriate, mature and professional manner.”

The Steelers won despite giving up 135 rushing yards to the Rams, who were without their top two running backs. Rookie receiver Puka Nacua had eight catches for 154 yards, but rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. made a crucial third-down breakup on a pass to Nacua in the fourth quarter.

“It looked like he stood up like a big dog,” Tomlin said, “but we expect him to.”

For the third game in a row and fourth time this season, the Steelers were held under 100 yards in the opening half. They have six points — two Chris Boswell field goals — to show for it in those three games.

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Trailing 9-3 at intermission thanks to a late touchdown by the Rams before halftime, the Steelers got a break defensively.

On the opening play of the second half, Watt intercepted Matthew Stafford at the Rams 31 and returned it 24 yards.

Facing third-and-goal from the 1, Pickett pushed his way into the end zone, and Boswell’s extra point gave the Steelers a 10-9 lead. It was the first third-down conversion for the Steelers after going 0 for 5 in the first half.

The Rams countered with a touchdown and 2-point conversion on their next possession to take a 17-10 lead with 8:57 left in the third.

The Rams missed a chance to build on their lead when Brett Maher hooked a 51-yard field-goal try with 1:22 left. He earlier had a 51-yarder clank off the left upright, and he missed an extra point.

This proved to be a turning point. The Steelers took advantage by driving 59 yards in five plays to tie the score 17-17 on Warren’s 13-yard run.

After the first three-and-out in the game by the Rams, the Steelers went 80 yards in 10 plays and took a 24-17 lead on Harris’ 3-yard touchdown run. Pickens had catches of 18 and 21 yards, with Johnson and Connor Heyward adding 11-yard receptions to set up Harris’ touchdown.

“It came down to those weighty moments and who wanted it most,” Johnson said. “We wanted it most.”

After the defense forced another punt, Pickett hooked up with Pickens on a 31-yard completion. On fourth-and-1 from the Rams 39, Pickett got the necessary distance to keep the drive alive. With the Rams out of timeouts, Pickett kneeled three times to end the game.

“That is what I was proud of,” Pickett said. “To stay on the field and let our defense relax on the sideline was what we wanted.”