“I talked to Calvin on third down before he took the field,” Tomlin said. “He’d been close for a few weeks, and I thought it was his time, and he thought it was his time, and he delivered. “

And then he delivered again with the touchdown catch.

Austin, a 2022 fourth-round pick in the NFL Draft out of Memphis, recorded the first punt return TD of his career on Monday and his two totals matched his previous career high.

“You know, we talked about it all week, (special teams) coach Danny (Smith), my teammates, it was just a perfect block, perfect lineup,” Austin told NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo after the game. “You know that was for those guys.”

Ahead of their bye week, the Steelers sit atop the AFC North after winning their third straight game. Austin was the spark in Pittsburgh’s latest triumph.