Kenny Pickett made history Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Pickett fired a 72-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III in the first quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night, which tied their game 7-7.
That deep ball, which found Austin wide open at midfield at Allegiant Stadium, is the longest touchdown pass the Steelers have scored against the Raiders in team history.
While the 72-yard touchdown pass is by no means the longest in league history — there have been several 99-yard receptions — it represents a huge moment in Steelers history. The touchdown surpassed the famous “immaculate reception” as the longest goal ever scored by the team against the Raiders.
This touchdown pass, thrown by Terry Bradshaw to Franco Harris in the 1972 playoffs, is one of the most famous touchdowns in NFL history. Bradshaw, with the Steelers trailing late in the fourth quarter and facing a deep fourth, had his pass tipped and Harris picked it off and ran it into the end zone to win the game and send the team to the AFC Championship game.
Harris died last year at the age of 72, a few days before the play’s 50th anniversary.
The Steelers and the Raiders entered Sunday night’s game at 1-1 on the season. The touchdown was Austin’s first of the season. The 24-year-old, who was taken by the Steelers in the fourth round of last year’s draft, entered the game with 47 yards on seven receptions this season.
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