11/18 — How do you explain it? Two games after giving up 296 rushing yards to the Redskins to fall to 32nd against the run in the NFL, the Jets have held the Steelers, the No. 2 rushing offense, to 28 yards in the first half.

But Pittsburgh has been able to complete passes, and that continues as Santonio Holmes runs away from Darrelle Revis on a deep cross for a 27-yard completion from Ben Roethlisberger. And Willie Parker is starting to crank it up, 4 yards, 6, 3 and 6, as the visitors move into the Jets red zone.

Then just as quickly as they were gaining yards, the Stillers are losing them. Parker is tackled for a 2-yard loss by blitzing S Abram Elam and LB Matt Chatham, then for minus-3 by David Bowens. Finally, Roethlisberger, looking for receivers vs. a three-man rush (with Bowens dropping off into zone coverage), has to scramble and knows he's going to be sacked. The 2-yard loss goes to Shaun Ellis and C.J. Mosley.

Jeff "Quadzilla" Reed comes in for a 37-yard field try. Even though it's the East end zone, the wind seems to have died down, and Reed hits his kick solid to cut it back to a three-point lead.

Jets 13, Steelers 10

The Green & White are almost punting from inside their 30 after a third-down incompletion, but Kellen Clemens is shoved to the ground after the long throw by Aaron Smith — personal foul, defense, first down. Another bad foul by the Men of Steel.

It gets the Jets only three more downs and ends with James Harrison, the hot new piece to the Black & Gold defense, muscling past D'Brickashaw Ferguson and sacking Clemens from behind. Nice coverage at the end of Ben Graham's short punt by Wallace Wright on Allen Rossum, and Pittsburgh takes over again at its 32.

The Steelers move down the field, but again they slow down as they approach the Jets 20. Shaun Ellis, in that LOLB position he's turned up in a few times this game, drops into coverage, then on the dumpoff from Roethlisberger to big Najeh Davenport, Ellis makes a solid textbook tackle.

Again the Jets bend but don't break, holding Pittsburgh to a 33-yard field goal try. He hits it and the Steelers have finally caught the Jets for the first time this game.

Steelers 13, Jets 13

Reed continues to kick away from Leon Washington, and the strategy for a team having kick-coverage problems has been successful. The Jets have four returns — by David Bowens, Matt Chatham, Justin McCareins and Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery is just taken down after an 8-yard return, the Jets' longest, at his 31.

CBS with a telling graphic: The Jets had 56 yards on their first pass play, 21 yards of net passing since.

But Thomas Jones makes that stat irrelevant at the moment, ripping off 18- and 8-yard runs. But no gain sets up third-and-2 at the Pitt 43 as the third quarter comes to an end.