Playing 3rd home night game in 23 days, Steelers can get 100th primetime win by beating Giants

Over his first six NFL seasons, Donte Jackson didn’t have much experience playing under the lights. Part of the lower-profile Carolina Panthers, Jackson played just five primetime home games.

“I wasn’t used to (night games) till I got here,” said Jackson, a cornerback traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. “I didn’t play many primetime games besides (the then-annually required) Thursday night game here and there. But I am definitely loving it, definitely getting used to primetime games.”

The entire city of Pittsburgh is, especially when it comes to hosting them. And particularly so this month.

Monday’s 8:15 kickoff against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium is the third Steelers home primetime game over a 23-day span. Never before in franchise history have the Steelers hosted three night games in such quick succession.

In fact, this is only the second time that three consecutive Steelers home games have kicked off at night. But in 2017, the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens played in Pittsburgh under the lights over a 25-day span.

Aside from that, though, only once before 2023 had the Steelers ever even hosted three primetime games in any given season (2014).

“We take those games as a, ‘Look at us. We’re the only show on TV,’ ” Jackson said, “so we definitely want to come out there and perform and play together. It’s is definitely great when you can run out there and that fanbase is screaming and everyone is dressed up. It’s night time.

“It’s awesome that you know you’re the only game on TV and that everybody is pulling up to watch you. It’s always awesome.”

Monday’s game is a potential milestone: A victory would be the Steelers’ 100th at night since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. At 99-69, the Steelers have the second-most wins and fourth-best winning percentage since then in primetime.

The Steelers’ .743 home winning percentage in night games is best in the NFL. But even as their 168 overall night games rank second only to the Dallas Cowboys, a disproportionate number of Steelers primetime games have been on the road. The Steelers rank just seventh in primetime home games (74) since 1970.

That’s changing recently, though. Dating to last season, Monday will make it five consecutive Steelers night games that are held at Acrisure Stadium.

“Those are the games you always dream about — playing under the lights, playing when all your peers are watching, everyone’s watching — playing the primetime games,” outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “At the end of the day, you have to go out there and play like you do every game (but) the atmosphere and the experience is different.

“It’s a little added hype, for sure, but it’s still football. You’ve got to go out there, and you have to execute and you have to make plays.”

After a rare blown lead during the first night game of this stretch — a loss Oct. 13 to the Dallas Cowboys — the Steelers made plenty of plays during last week’s 37-15 victory under the lights against the New York Jets.

That was the Steelers’ 55th primetime home win. Beating the Giants on Monday would match the Miami Dolphins for the most home night victories since the merger.

“It’s an awesome opportunity,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said of hosting so many night games in succession. “I think (the Jets game) was the best environment that I have been in playing for the Steelers since I have been here, so credit to the fans, credit to the atmosphere. It was a great venue to play in.

Hopefully, it will continue on Monday night, and, hopefully, we can give them something to cheer about. It’s easier to cheer when you’re putting up 37 points.”