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Five things we learned from\u00a0Steelers 26, Giants 18:<\/p>\n
1. Four hundred reasons<\/span><\/p>\n From the start of the 2001 season through the game two weeks ago in Las Vegas, the Steelers had gone through six starting quarterbacks and three play callers over 3 \u00bd seasons. And in the 57 games in that time, they had surpassed 400 yards of offense just three times.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve now done it twice in just two starts by Russell Wilson.<\/p>\n A week after putting up 409 yards in a 37-15 win against the New York Jets, the Steelers on Monday night tallied 426 yards in beating New York\u2019s other team. The effort against the Giants in Wilson\u2019s second start with the team accounted for the second-most yards in a Steelers victory since November 2018. Only a Mason Rudolph-led 468-yard effort in a New Year\u2019s Even win at the Seattle Seahawks last season was more productive.<\/p>\n The Steelers have 63 points in two games with Wilson starting. Only once since early in the 2020 season had the Steelers accumulated that many points over a two-game span: 64 points when Rudolph was QB in Weeks 15-16 last season.<\/p>\n 2. No slow start here<\/span><\/p>\n The Steelers have been plagued by slow starts offensively and have been far more productive in the second halves of games.<\/p>\n Monday, the point production in the first half still lagged. But don\u2019t let the mere nine points in the box score fool you \u2013 the Steelers were moving the ball before halftime.<\/p>\n The Steelers had 238 yards in the first half \u2013 for basis of comparison, consider they totaled 226 yards for the entire\u00a0game<\/em>\u00a0three weeks ago against Dallas.<\/p>\n Fourteen of the Steelers\u2019 37 offensive snaps in the first half gained 10 or more yards. That\u2019s their most in any half since a Sept. 16, 2018 game against Kansas City when they also had 14.<\/p>\n 3. Six-and-too much optimism<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to a 6-2 start, the Steelers are situated to make a push for the playoffs and even win the AFC North title. Although the odds are certainly in their favor, they are banking on it.<\/p>\n Since 1990, 82.5% (127 of 154) of the teams that opened the season 6-2 have reached the playoffs and 54.5% (84 of 154) have won their division. Over the last five seasons, 33 of the 43 teams (76.7%) that led their division after Week 8 have made the playoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have great confidence,\u201d Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t done anything yet. We\u2019re obviously sitting here at 6-2, which is a great thing, but it doesn\u2019t mean anything. \u2026 There\u2019s a lot of great games ahead of us. We\u2019re not going to shy away from \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith is well aware that while the Steelers sit atop the AFC North they have yet to face a divisional opponent. They will play a string of them starting on Nov. 17 against Baltimore, followed by games at Cleveland and Cincinnati before hosting the Browns. The Steelers also have to play at the Philadelphia Eagles and the Ravens before hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the season finale on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is good to have a fast start to the season,\u201d Highsmith said. \u201cWe know the schedule we\u2019ve got the back half of the season, so we just got to continue to get better every single day, not get content, not get complacent. The AFC North is waiting on us, some other tough games, as well. Just got to continue to get better and fine-tune details every day.\u201d<\/p>\n 4. Rush to success<\/span><\/p>\n Najee Harris rushed for a season-high 114 rushing yards, his third consecutive 100-yard game as the Steelers rushed for 167 yards against the Giants.<\/p>\n Both coach Mike Tomlin and Wilson gave some of the credit for the success of the ground game to center Ryan McCollum, who moved into the starting lineup when starter Nate Herbig and rookie Zach Frazer were lost to injuries.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really impressive again, considering some of the circumstances,\u201d Tomlin said. \u201cCan\u2019t say enough about guys like Ryan McCollum, who are getting an opportunity to step up and put their hand in the pile, carve out space for themselves in this thing. We talk too much about guys we don\u2019t have in this business. There\u2019s always other deserving men on the other end of that conversation who are getting an opportunity. Ryan McCollum is one of those guys: A major component of why we were successful in terms of running the football.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson credited McCollum, who hadn\u2019t played in an NFL regular-season game since 2021, for providing leadership on the offensive line despite his relative inexperience.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really proud just Ryan stepping in and playing center over the past couple weeks,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThat\u2019s a big deal to be able to have guys be able to step in, be as confident as he\u2019s been, to be the leader, a great sounding voice for the O-line. Just proud of the guys being connected as one. When you got guys like that that are tough, got grit to them, knowledge of the game, work at it every day, love it, love each other, anything is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Switching sides<\/span><\/p>\n