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Steelers go airborne to soar over Titans
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 [November 17, 2017]
(The Sports Xchange) - 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. They
made themselves one-dimensional from the start and it paid off in a
40-17 win over the Titans on Thursday.
After rallying the Steelers to a win only four days earlier, Ben
Roethlisberger came out throwing against the Titans and finished
with four touchdown passes and 299 yards through the air.
He completed 30-of-45 passes as the Steelers compiled a near 3-to-1
pass-run ratio.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown caught 10 passes for 144 yards and three
touchdowns. He entered the weekend 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 a third-down play. The touchdown cut
the Steelers' lead to 10-7 with 3:05 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.
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Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray (29) is upended by
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Mike Hilton (31) during the
second quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 40-17. Mandatory
Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers cooled significantly, 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 1:37 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 5:34 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 14:56
remaining and Pittsburgh added 10 more unanswered points to improve
their record to 8-2.
Brown now has 70 receptions for 1,026 yards.
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