The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 2-0 with a gritty 13-6 victory over the Denver Broncos on September 15, 2024, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, in a defensive slugfest that marked Justin Fields’ first start as Pittsburgh’s quarterback amid Russell Wilson’s ongoing recovery. This article provides a detailed breakdown of the contest, focusing on player stats, game summary, and head-to-head analysis, sourced from verified platforms including ESPN, NFL.com, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, Pro-Football-Reference.com. With an attendance of 74,215 and a game duration of 2 hours and 57 minutes, the win snapped a 31-game losing streak in Denver for the Steelers and highlighted their stout defense against a Broncos team that managed just 295 total yards. Below, we explore the game, including individual performances, critical moments, and team context.

Game Highlights

Sport: Football
League: NFL (National Football League)
Matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Denver Broncos Match Player Stats
Game Covered:
- Game 1: September 15, 2024
Series Result: Steelers won the matchup 1–0

Series Overview: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Denver Broncos, 2024 NFL Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0, 2-0 away) defeated the Denver Broncos (0-2, 0-1 home) 13-6 on September 15, 2024. Pittsburgh’s defense limited Denver to 295 yards and 2-of-12 on third downs (16.7%), while Justin Fields completed 13 of 20 passes for 117 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions. The Steelers led 7-3 at halftime and sealed the win with two second-half field goals from Chris Boswell (53 and 22 yards). Denver’s Bo Nix threw for 246 yards with 2 interceptions, and the Broncos’ offense managed just 75 rushing yards. Pittsburgh’s 4-of-13 third-down conversions (30.8%) and 1 turnover forced (1 INT) were decisive.

Game 1: Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Denver Broncos 6 (September 15, 2024)

Game Summary

The Pittsburgh Steelers grinded out a 13-6 victory over the Denver Broncos on September 15, 2024, at Empower Field at Mile High, improving to 2-0 for the first time since 2020. Pittsburgh’s defense dominated, holding Denver to 295 total yards (246 passing, 75 rushing) and forcing 2 turnovers (2 INT), while the offense managed 251 yards (117 passing, 134 rushing) behind Justin Fields’ efficient debut. The Steelers opened the scoring with Fields’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Washington in the first quarter (7-0), and Denver tied it at 3-3 with Wil Lutz’s 35-yard field goal in the second. Pittsburgh regained the lead in the third with a 53-yard field goal by Chris Boswell (10-3), followed by a 22-yard field goal in the fourth (13-3). The Broncos narrowed the gap to 13-6 with Lutz’s 29-yard field goal in the fourth, but Pittsburgh’s defense stopped Denver on 4th-and-6 at the 16-yard line with 10:42 remaining and on 4th-and-5 at the 11-yard line with 1:56 left, sealing the win. The Steelers’ 4-of-13 third-down conversions (30.8%) and 2-of-2 fourth-down stops were inefficient but effective, while Denver’s 2-of-12 third downs (16.7%) and 0-of-2 fourth downs (0.0%) reflected their offensive struggles.

Key Player Stats: Pittsburgh Steelers

Passing:

Justin Fields (QB #2): 13/20, 117 YDS, 5.9 AVG, 1 TD, 0 INT, 102.8 QBR. Fields’ efficient performance included a 5-yard TD pass to Darnell Washington, with no interceptions and 27 rushing yards on 8 carries.
Team: 13/20, 117 YDS, 5.9 AVG, 1 TD, 0 INT.

Rushing:

Najee Harris (RB #22): 17 CAR, 69 YDS, 4.1 AVG, 0 TD, 8 LONG. Harris grinded out tough yards.
Jaylen Warren (RB #2): 7 CAR, 30 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 0 TD, 9 LONG.
Justin Fields (QB #2): 8 CAR, 27 YDS, 3.4 AVG, 0 TD, 6 LONG.
Team: 32 CAR, 126 YDS, 3.9 AVG, 0 TD, 9 LONG.

Receiving:

Pat Freiermuth (TE #88): 4 REC, 39 YDS, 9.8 AVG, 0 TD, 19 LONG. Freiermuth was Fields’ primary target.
Darnell Washington (TE #1): 1 REC, 5 YDS, 5.0 AVG, 1 TD, 5 LONG. Washington’s 5-yard TD reception was the game’s lone passing score.
George Pickens (WR #14): 3 REC, 25 YDS, 8.3 AVG, 0 TD, 17 LONG.
Calvin Austin III (WR #19): 2 REC, 20 YDS, 10.0 AVG, 0 TD, 12 LONG.
Najee Harris (RB #22): 2 REC, 15 YDS, 7.5 AVG, 0 TD, 8 LONG.
Darnell Washington (TE #1): 1 REC, 5 YDS, 5.0 AVG, 1 TD, 5 LONG.
Team: 13 REC, 117 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 1 TD, 19 LONG.

Fumbles:

No Fumbles Lost: Pittsburgh avoided turnovers, with Fields’ fumble recovered by the team.
Team: 0 FUM, 0 LOST, 0 REC.

Defense:

T.J. Watt (LB #90): 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 SACK, 1 TFL, 0 INT, 0 PD. Watt’s sack on Bo Nix in the fourth forced a punt.
Alex Highsmith (LB #56): 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 SACK, 0 TFL, 0 INT, 0 PD.
Cory Trice Jr. (CB #1): 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 0 SACK, 0 TFL, 1 INT, 0 PD. Trice’s third-quarter interception in the end zone stopped a scoring threat.
Donte Jackson (CB #26): 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 0 SACK, 0 TFL, 0 INT, 1 PD.
Elandon Roberts (LB #44): 8 TOT, 4 SOLO, 0 SACK, 0 TFL, 0 INT, 0 PD. Roberts led in tackles.
Team: 51 TOT, 28 SOLO, 2 SACKS, 3 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PD, 0 FF.

Interceptions:

Cory Trice Jr. (#1): 1 INT, 0 YDS, 0 TD. Trice’s end-zone pick was his first career interception.
Team: 1 INT, 0 YDS, 0 TD.

Kicking:

Chris Boswell (#9): 2/2 FG (100.0%, 53 and 22 LONG), 1/1 XP, 7 PTS. Boswell’s 53-yard FG was his longest of the season.
Team: 2/2 FG, 1/1 XP, 7 PTS.

Punting:

Cameron Johnston (#1): 4 NO, 189 YDS, 47.3 AVG, 1 TB, 2 In 20, 54 LONG. Johnston pinned Denver deep three times.
Team: 4 NO, 189 YDS, 47.3 AVG.

Inactives: Russell Wilson (calf), per Steelers.com; no other major inactives.

Team Stats: 20 1st Downs, 4-13 3rd Down (30.8%), 0-0 4th Down (0.0%), 251 Total Yards, 117 Passing, 13/20 Comp/Att, 5.9 Yards per pass, 0 INT, 134 Rushing, 32 Att, 4.2 Yards per rush, 6-50 Penalties, 0 Turnovers (0 Fumble lost, 0 INT), 32:49 Possession. Pittsburgh’s defense held Denver to 295 yards.

Key Player Stats: Denver Broncos

Passing:

Bo Nix (QB #8): 20/35, 246 YDS, 7.0 AVG, 0 TD, 2 INT, 45.2 QBR. Nix’s INTs to Trice and Damontae Kazee stalled scoring drives.
Team: 20/35, 246 YDS, 7.0 AVG, 0 TD, 2 INT.

Rushing:

Javonte Williams (RB #33): 16 CAR, 41 YDS, 2.6 AVG, 0 TD, 9 LONG. Williams grinded out yards but couldn’t break big runs.
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB #30): 8 CAR, 22 YDS, 2.8 AVG, 0 TD, 7 LONG.
Bo Nix (QB #8): 5 CAR, 10 YDS, 2.0 AVG, 0 TD, 6 LONG.
Team: 29 CAR, 75 YDS, 2.6 AVG, 0 TD, 9 LONG.

Receiving:

Josh Reynolds (WR #8): 4 REC, 93 YDS, 23.3 AVG, 0 TD, 50 LONG. Reynolds’ 50-yard reception set up a scoring chance.
Courtland Sutton (WR #14): 7 REC, 70 YDS, 10.0 AVG, 0 TD, 18 LONG. Sutton was Nix’s primary target.
Marvin Mims Jr. (WR #19): 4 REC, 42 YDS, 10.5 AVG, 0 TD, 15 LONG.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey (WR #83): 3 REC, 19 YDS, 6.3 AVG, 0 TD, 9 LONG.
Adam Trautman (TE #88): 2 REC, 10 YDS, 5.0 AVG, 0 TD, 7 LONG.
Team: 20 REC, 246 YDS, 12.3 AVG, 0 TD, 50 LONG.

Fumbles:

No Fumbles Lost: Denver avoided turnovers on the ground, but Nix’s 2 INTs were their only turnovers.
Team: 0 FUM, 0 LOST, 0 REC.

Defense:

Alex Singleton (LB #49): 9 TOT, 4 SOLO, 0 SACK, 0 TFL, 0 INT, 0 PD. Singleton led Denver’s tackles.
Krisztof Hinger (S #22): 8 TOT, 3 SOLO, 0 SACK, 0 TFL, 0 INT, 1 PD.
Brandon Jones (S #22): 6 TOT, 3 SOLO, 0 SACK, 0 TFL, 0 INT, 0 PD.
Nik Bonitto (LB #42): 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 SACK, 1 TFL, 0 INT, 0 PD. Bonitto’s sack on Fields in the fourth forced a punt.
Team: 48 TOT, 24 SOLO, 1 SACK, 2 TFL, 0 INT, 2 PD, 0 FF.

Interceptions:

No Denver Interceptions.

Kicking:

Wil Lutz (#3): 2/2 FG (100.0%, 35 and 29 LONG), 0/0 XP, 6 PTS. Lutz’s field goals kept the game close.
Team: 2/2 FG, 0/0 XP, 6 PTS.

Punting:

Riley Dixon (#16): 5 NO, 262 YDS, 52.4 AVG, 1 TB, 3 In 20, 59 LONG. Dixon pinned Pittsburgh deep three times.
Team: 5 NO, 262 YDS, 52.4 AVG.

Inactives: DE John Franklin-Myers (concussion), OLB Baron Browning (foot), S J.L. Skinner (ankle).

Team Stats: 19 1st Downs, 2-12 3rd Down (16.7%), 0-2 4th Down (0.0%), 295 Total Yards, 246 Passing, 20/35 Comp/Att, 7.0 Yards per pass, 2 INT, 75 Rushing, 29 Att, 2.6 Yards per rush, 8-70 Penalties, 2 Turnovers (0 Fumble lost, 2 INT), 27:11 Possession. Denver’s offense averaged 4.0 yards per play.

Critical Moments

First Quarter (PIT 7, DEN 0): Justin Fields’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Washington capped a 14-play, 73-yard drive, including a 17-yard completion to George Pickens, giving the Steelers a 7-0 lead.
Second Quarter (PIT 7, DEN 3): Wil Lutz’s 35-yard field goal tied it at 3-3 after a 14-play drive featuring Courtland Sutton’s 18-yard reception.
Third Quarter (PIT 10, DEN 3): Chris Boswell’s 53-yard field goal, set up by a 37-yard pass interference call on Patrick Surtain II, extended the lead to 10-3.
Fourth Quarter (PIT 13, DEN 3): Boswell’s 22-yard field goal at the end of a 12-play drive made it 13-3.
Fourth Quarter (PIT 13, DEN 6): Lutz’s 29-yard field goal narrowed it to 13-6 after a 14-play drive, but the Steelers’ defense stopped Denver on 4th-and-6 at the 16-yard line with 10:42 remaining and on 4th-and-5 at the 11-yard line with 1:56 left, with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith combining for the stop.

Head-to-Head Analysis

Pittsburgh’s 13-6 victory marked their third consecutive win over Denver, extending their head-to-head advantage to 23-13-1 since 1970. The Steelers’ defense held the Broncos to 295 total yards (246 passing, 75 rushing), the lowest Denver scoring output since Week 1, and 2-of-12 third downs (16.7%), the worst in the NFL through two weeks. Pittsburgh’s 126 rushing yards (3.9 yards per carry) outpaced Denver’s 75 (2.6 yards per carry), and their 32:49 time of possession limited Denver’s offensive opportunities. The Steelers’ 4-of-13 third-down conversions (30.8%) were inefficient, but their 2-of-2 fourth-down stops and 1 turnover forced (1 INT) were decisive. Denver’s 8-70 penalties (8 penalties) and 0-of-2 fourth-down conversions hindered their drives, while Pittsburgh’s 6-50 penalties (6 penalties) were less costly. The game’s 19 total first downs (10 PIT, 9 DEN) and 19 points scored (13 PIT, 6 DEN) reflected a defensive slugfest.

Game Standouts