PITTSBURGH (AP) – Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown have scored two touchdowns in the second half, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have drifted off the Atlanta Falcons for a 41-17 win on Sunday.

Roethlisberger finished 19 of 29 attempts for a total of 250 yards and three goals, including a 9-yard drive against Brown in the third quarter and a 47-yard dart for the All-Pro wide receiver at the start of the fourth inning. Pittsburgh (2-2 1) put together his most complete performance of the season.

Brown caught six passes for 101 yards. His two touchdowns earned him 64 years in his career, beating the John Stallworth Hall of Fame and becoming second on the franchise's all-time awards list.

James Conner ran for 110 yards and two goals and added 75 yards to his Pittsburgh goals, improving his 7-0-1 record against the Falcons (1-4) at home.

Matt Ryan scored 285 yards and a touchdown, but was also sacked six times and spent the final minutes of Atlanta's third straight loss on the bench with the game out of reach. Pittsburgh cornerback Joe Haden controlled Falcons star receiver Julio Jones. Shadowing Jones – who took the best of the NFL in receiving yards – all afternoon, Haden has limited five receptions to Jones for 62 yards, all in the fourth quarter with Atlanta well behind.

This is not a problem for Conner, who helped the Steelers get out of the funk early in the season. The return of the second year was limited to just 19 rushing yards in 11 races in a loss to Baltimore on Sunday night. It was easier with the 28th NFL defense.

Conner had accumulated 99 total yards in the first quarter alone, but the Steelers only led 13-10 at the break, thanks in part to Roethlisberger and Brown's failure.

Brown averaged just 9.4 meters per receipt – well below his career average of 13.4 – but dismissed the idea that he had communication problems with Roethlisberger, joking about the fact that their "Wi-Fi" was a little offbeat but would soon start to hum. again.

It did not seem that way at the end of the first half, when Roethlisberger propelled the ball from his back foot into a double-covered Brown in the end zone. Damontae Kazee of Atlanta has easily retained to keep Atlanta close at hand.

It did not last. Roethlisberger outshot 12 yards and 85 yards in the third quarter with a shot against Brown. Roethlisberger gave an exaggerated punch as a result, as if to say "finally", while Pittsburgh took the advantage 20-10. Steelers All-Pro semifinal Roosevelt Nix then blocked Matt Bosher's Atlanta field goal kick. Nix was the lead blocker for Conner's 2-yard sprint that allowed the Steelers to score 27-10.

Ito Smith was over two meters and he had 12:28 to bring the Falcons back within 10, but Pittsburgh responded immediately.

Roethlisberger hit Brown on the left sideline and Brown did the rest, scoring his longest reception of the season on the goal line and reprimanding – for now – the seemingly nonstop drama around one of the most enigmatic teams of the NFL.

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