Steelers 19, Falcons 16: Reaction To Team's Second Straight Win

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Steelers' excruciatingly long trek back to respectability after a miserable start to the season took another step forward Sunday with their second consecutive road victory. Here's what sports writers from across the country thought about the game:

• Greg Auman, Fox Sports: "Pittsburgh set the tone early, opening the game with two long, grinding drives, converting four third downs on the first, and while they stalled and only netted a pair of 46-yard Matthew Wright field goals, the Steelers showed they had control of the line of scrimmage."

• Brooke Pryor, ESPN: "Though they won back-to-back games for the first time this season with a 19-16 win in Atlanta, the Steelers (5-7) saw it almost slip away after a strong first half yet again. This time, though, instead of the offense going dormant, it was a defensive undoing that nearly cost the Steelers -- until Minkah Fitzpatrick's pick sealed the win."

• Stephen Thompson, Sports Illustrated: "George Pickens had a rough day against the Falcons, catching just one of his two passes for two yards. At one point in the second half, he came back to the sideline after an unsuccessful third down play and was yelling at no one in particular "Throw me the ball!". Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward had to spend a moment with him on the bench to calm him down."

• John Breech, CBS Sports: "The Steelers didn't do anything flashy against the Falcons, they just beat them the old-fashioned way with a well-rounded performance in all three phases of the game... The Steelers might not make the playoffs, but they did take one step closer to helping Mike Tomlin finish with a winning record for the 16th straight season."

• Michael Baca, NFL.com: "Pittsburgh put together its first consecutive wins of the season with an offensive efficiency that promoted results over frills. The Steelers offered a healthy balance of run and pass plays that sustained long drives to keep their defense fresh and five of seven of their offensive possessions resulted in points (not counting the one-play drives)."