Pittsburgh Steelers seal hard-fought victory over New York Giants on Monday Night Football CNN

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New York Giants 26-18 at Acrisar Stadium on Monday night, an evening defined by defensive play and a moment of special teams brilliance.

The game started slowly with both teams struggling to convert drives into touchdowns, with their kickers – Chris Boswell for Pittsburgh and Greg Joseph for New York – each successfully converting three field goals to make it 9-9 at halftime.

But the game came alive with 4:38 left in the third quarter when Pittsburgh's Calvin Austin III took a Giants punt over defenders and down the sideline for a 73-yard touchdown.

And the 25-year-old was not done there; On the next Steelers drive early in the fourth, the wide receiver caught a 29-yard pass from QB Russell Wilson to extend Pittsburgh's lead to 14.

According to the NFL, Austin III became just the second player in the last three seasons with a receiving and punt return touchdown in the same game. The other player was Califf Raymond who accomplished the feat Sunday for the Detroit Lions in their demolition of the Tennessee Titans.

After the game, Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith praised Austin III's work ethic and ability to stay prepared.

“I went up to him after he scored the touchdown and said it's just a matter of time and I knew he was going to get it soon,” Highsmith said, explaining what he said to the receiver after his first touchdown.

“He's a guy that comes in every day, he works his butt off, he's humble, he's level-headed, and he's a great dude, and so to see him get those two touchdowns today, especially that punt return, was awesome. Again, it's huge for him, so I'm happy for him and he's a player.”

Although the Giants attempted a comeback, Tyrone Tracy Jr. ran 45 yards for a touchdown a little over two minutes later.

However, that was as good as it got for the visitors as they failed on their two-point conversion attempt after scoring – quarterback Daniel Jones was visibly frustrated after tackling WR Malik Nabers as there was clear confusion among the Giants squad.

After Wilson punted the ball to his own 34-yard line, giving New York a perfect chance to mount a comeback, Jones did the same, punching the ball loose in a strip sack with first-team All-Pro Pittsburgh's TJ Watt. Ball recovery is a turnover ball.

The Giants defense stepped up one final time to force a punt and give the team one last chance at a comeback. But Jones had his pass intercepted by Steelers cornerback Benny Bishop Jr. — his third in two games — and Pittsburgh held on for the hard-fought win.

It was the second straight win with Wilson as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback, replacing Justin Fields. Wilson finished 20-of-28 for 278 passing yards and a touchdown pass to Austin III, while Naji Harris added 114 yards on the ground on 19 carries.

The Steelers now go into their bye week on a three-game winning streak with a 6-2 record over the AFC North.

However, Watt said he and his Pittsburgh teammates aren't resting on their laurels just yet.

“We (don't) just worry about the overall result,” the 30-year-old said. “We can't allow a 48-yard touchdown or whatever it is. But there are things we can improve and improve every week.

“We're going on vacation, and we can't just go on vacation. We've got to find ways to get better this week and sharpen our edge and get better.”

The Giants fall to 2-6 with the loss and face the resurgent Washington Commanders in Week 9.