Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau schemes to make opposing offenses “one-dimensional”: it was his mantra through 16 seasons as a Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coach.
So the Steelers did him a favor upon his return to Heinz Field on Thursday. They made themselves one-dimensional from the start and it paid off in a 40-17 win over the Titans.
After rallying the Steelers to a win only four days earlier, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger came out throwing against the Titans and finished with four touchdown passes and 299 yards through the air.
Photo: AFP
He completed 30 of 45 passes as the Steelers compiled a nearly 3-1 pass-run ratio.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown caught 10 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns. He entered the week leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yardage, and went past 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive season on Thursday.
The NFL’s leading rusher, Le’Veon Bell, finished with 46 yards on 12 carries, and it was by design.
Bell carried just eight times for 30 yards through three quarters, or until Pittsburgh put the game away early in the fourth with a spectacular one-handed, 10-yard touchdown catch by Brown that gave the Steelers a 37-17 lead.
The Steelers opened the game in a no-huddle attack and needed just six plays to score on a 41-yard pass from Roethlisberger to Brown.
Mike Hilton intercepted Marcus Mariota at midfield to end the Titans’ first possession, returning the ball 26 yards to set up Chris Boswell’s 41-yard field goal and give the Steelers an early 10-0 lead.
The Titans answered with an 11-play, 68-yard drive that ended with Mariota running seven yards on third down. The touchdown cut the Steelers’ lead to 10-7 with 3 minutes, 5 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Titans had a chance to tie the score early in the second quarter, but Ryan Succop’s 48-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by T.J. Watt.
The Steelers slowed, but they were able to add to their lead after an interception by Cody Sensabaugh.
The replacement for injured cornerback Joe Haden returned the ball to the Tennessee 20 and Boswell kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 13-7 Steelers lead with 1 minute, 37 seconds left in the half.
Boswell kicked his third field goal of the half, a 50-yarder, with 18 seconds remaining to send the Steelers to their locker room with a 16-7 lead.
Mariota and Rishard Matthews hooked up on a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half to cut the Steelers’ lead to two points, but Pittsburgh answered with another pass-heavy drive that ended with Roethlisberger throwing a five-yard fastball to Brown to open a 23-14 cushion.
Tennessee answered with a 44-yard field goal to cut the lead to 23-17 with 5 minutes, 34 seconds left in the third, but the Steelers refused to let the Titans hang around.
Roethlisberger threw his third touchdown pass, a one-yarder to tight end Jesse James, to put the Steelers 30-17 ahead with 14 minutes, 56 seconds remaining.
Pittsburgh then added 10 more unanswered points to improve their record to 8-2.
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