Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger carved up the Jets on Sunday, completing 24 of 31 for 275 yards and two touchdowns. (AP)

This time, the Steelers (1-1) scored touchdowns -- three -- to close out the scoring. This time, the Steelers got to the quarterback, too.

They didn’t get to him physically, with the same number of sacks (two) as last week’s loss in Denver. But on Sunday at Heinz Field, a Pittsburgh defense without two of the past four Defensive Players of the Year in Troy Polamalu (calf) and James Harrison (knee), harassed, harried and hounded Mark Sanchez into missing all but six of his final 22 pass attempts in a 27-10 victory over the New York Jets (1-1). The Jets mustered 124 yards and 10 points on their first two possessions, then pieced together 95 yards on their final eight possessions.

“We were anxious out there,” S Ryan Mundy said. “We definitely had to settle down.  We were able to get to the quarterback throughout the game.” 

Mundy subbed for Polamalu while intermittently switching jobs with Ryan Clark throughout Sunday’s game. The Jets led 10-6 as Sanchez started 4 for 5 for 80 yards and a TD to Santonio Holmes. But then Sanchez went 0 for 5 the rest of the half. 

After driving and settling for field goals through much of the Denver game, the Steelers found themselves in similar straits with a 10-6 deficit midway through the second quarter against the Jets. But this time they scored touchdowns. The difference? The ultimate motivator, said guard Willie Colon: fear of 0-2.

“We were salty all week,” Colon said. “The whole week of practice, you could tell everybody was on edge.”

When the game turned: On the first play after the Jets took a 10-6 lead and then held the Steelers to a three-and-out, Pittsburgh LBs Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley got to Sanchez right after he released an incomplete pass. Sanchez went 6 for 22 the rest of the game.

And Ben Roethlisberger got the Steelers moving. He avoided a sack and lofted a 37-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, who got both heels down just inside the end-zone sideline to give the Steelers a 20-10 lead.

Highlight moments: The Wallace TD with 8:44 remaining in the third quarter was a nifty adjustment after Roethlisberger’s duck-and-reposition.

And it may not sound like much, but 31 yards on eight carries between Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman were the impetus for the 10:13, interminable TD drive that ate up most of the fourth quarter. The rest of the game, the Steelers – the Steelers -- rushed 20 times for 35 net yards.

Top-shelf performances

  • Roethlisberger was 24 of 31 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
  • Steelers S Clark: Eight tackles, a pass breakup and a tackle for loss after sitting out last Sunday.

What they said about the Steelers’ defense:

  • Steelers S Clark -- “Troy wasn’t out there. I was trying to do a lot. I was just kind of a little anxious. Everywhere Mark Sanchez pump-faked, I went. Period. I stopped being a knucklehead, and we were able to play some football.”
  • Steelers S Mundy – “We have the flexibility that both of us today played strong and free safety.”

Jets coach Rex Ryan – “(Defensive coordinator) Dick LeBeau and that crew over there -- Mike Tomlin -- they do a good job. It came down to -- they out-executed us and did a much better job than we did in all phases, including coaching.”

Numbers you should know: In the opening 13:47 of the fourth quarter, the Jets had the ball for just 66 seconds. After that possession, the Steelers embarked on the 75-yard scoring drive that gobbled up 16 snaps (two for penalties) and an eternity.

Holmes had three catches for 28 yards, was targeted 11 times, had three drops and turned into the beneficiary of three pass-interference calls on Steelers CB Ike Taylor, a couple of them head-scratchers.

Injury update: Jets RB Shonn Greene returned after a first-half “head injury” that Ryan said wasn’t a concussion. FB John Conner left with a reinjured knee.

Moving forward: Steelers -- Pittsburgh visits Oakland (0-2), but Harrison and Polamalu might sit out another week. RB Rashard Mendenhall conceivably could get a few carries in his first action since a Jan. 1 ACL injury, although he, like Harrison and Polamalu, could rest next week and through the bye week that follows. Jets -- The Jets’ road show continues next week at Miami (1-1). Could it be time for more wildcat after Tim Tebow went 22 yards with his only carry and steered three successful rushing plays before being pulled ... even to the Steelers’ surprise.

Follow Steelers reporter Chuck Finder on Twitter @CBSSteelers.