SB Nation Pittsburgh - Titans Vs. Steelers: Pittsburgh Dominates, Wins 38-17

2011 NFL Standings: Week 5 Action Shakes Up Standings Across League

2011-10-11T12:01:33Z

Week 5 of the 2011 NFL season is in the books. 26 teams played from coast to coast on Sunday or Monday, with the remaining six off thanks to an early-season bye. Two of the six teams with a bye were in the AFC North (Baltimore and Cleveland), but we'll turn our attention to the Pittsburgh Steelers' division shortly.

First though, a quick overview of where things stand across the league after Sunday.

In the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills retained their grasp atop the standings with a yet another thrilling win. Buffalo held on to defeat the 1-4 Eagles 31-24 despite a furious late-game rally engineered by Michael Vick, who mind you, put Philadelphia in a hole early with his interceptions. (He finished with four on the day after being picked off late in the fourth quarter.) New England kept pace with a hard-fought 31-20 win over the New York Jets. After winning their first two, the Jets have are now reeling from three consecutive losses.

In the AFC South, Houston was upended at home by the inspired Oakland Raiders, who were playing in honor of Al Davis, the team's long-time owner who had passed away just one day earlier. Houston is now tied with Tennessee atop the division, as the Titans also lost of course to the Steelers. The 38-17 defeat in Pittsburgh snapped the Titans' three game winning streak, and was the second conference loss of the year for Mike Munchak's squad. Jacksonville is no real threat to challenge either team for the division. The Jaguars lost their fourth in a row, a 30-20 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Colts, meanwhile, blew a 17-point lead over the Chiefs, losing 28-24 at home to fall to 0-5 on the year.

In the AFC West, San Diego handled Denver 29-24 to improve to 4-1. Tim Tebow rallied the Broncos to within 2 late in the game with two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, but San Diego iced it with a field goal drive in the final minutes. Oakland, as previously mentioned, improved to 3-2 with their 25-20 win over Houston. The Raiders occupy second place in the AFC West behind San Diego, and ahead of Denver (1-4) and the Chiefs (2-3), who aren't dead in the water just yet after their come-from-behind win over Indianapolis.

In the NFC East, the Eagles fell to 1-4 and are in last place in the division heading into next week's matchup against the Washington Redskins (3-1), who were off this week. The Dallas Cowboys were also off and are 2-2 heading into their Week 6 showdown with the Patriots on Sunday. Finally, the Giants lost on Sunday in a game that seems to be so symbolic of the Tom Coughlin era. New York lost at home to the Seattle Seahawks despite Eli Manning throwing for over 400 yards. If the Giants miss the playoffs by a single game again in 2011, they'll have nobody to blame but themselves, and will almost certainly look to their Week 5 meltdown against Seattle as one of the games they should have won.

In the South, New Orleans took control of first place with a dramatic 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers (1-4). Drew Brees orchestrated a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to stave off yet another valiant effort from Cam Newton and the Panthers. With Atlanta's loss to Green Bay on Sunday night, and Tampa Bay's pathetic 48-3 defeat in San Francisco, the Saints are looking down on the rest of the division after losing in Week 1.

Should we even mention the NFC West? Fine, real quick. San Francisco is in in great shape after improving to 4-1 with their blowout win over the Buccaneers. Credit Jim Harbaugh for the incredible job he's done in so little time at the controls. Seattle appears to be the only real threat to San Francisco. The Seahawks are better than people realize, and improved to 2-3 with their win over the Giants. Arizona (1-4) fired blanks in a pathetic loss at previously-winless Minnesota. Finally, St. Louis is in the cellar at 0-4. They'll try to get on track after their much-needed bye week. Unfortunately for Steve Spagnuolo's squad, their next three are at Green Bay, at Dallas and home against the Saints. 0-7 looks like a distinct possibility for a Rams team that most believed was positioned nicely to take yet another big step forward after their encouraging 2010 season.

And finally, the Norris Division. The NFC North sports the only two undefeated teams in football -- the Packers and the Detroit Lions, who remained undefeated with a 24-13 win over the Chicago Bears in what was the organization's first Monday Night Football appearance in a decade. Who would have though that when Detroit hosted San Francisco in Week 6, it would be a matchup of two NFC front runners who could possibly be playing for playoff seeding. Don't forget about the Packers though. The defending champs look anything but hungover from their Super Bowl win a year ago. In fact, one would have to be a bit crazy to consider them anything but favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy again next February based on how they've been playing to start the year. Green Bay improved to 5-0 themselves on Sunday night with a convincing 25-14 win over Atlanta. After spotting the Falcons the first 14 points, Green Bay responded with 25 unanswered points for their 11th consecutive win dating back to Week 16 of the 2010 regular season. To round out the division, score one for Minnesota in Week 5. After blowing leads in all four of their losses to start the year, the Vikings finally held on against the mistake-prone Arizona Cardinals. Minnesota buried themselves with the 0-4 start, but don't sleep on them entirely. I guarantee you they'll knock off a few teams with playoff aspirations in the second half of the season.

And last but not least, back to the AFC North. As mentioned, only the Steelers and Bengals were in action on Sunday. Both won intra-conference games to improve to 3-2. Both will be favored to win in Week 6 as well. The Steelers host the Jaguars; the Bengals host the Colts. Cleveland looks to bounce back from a disappointing Week 4 loss when they return from their bye week to play the Raiders in Oakland. Baltimore will be tested in Week 6 by a Texans team that will be hard at work this week following their home loss to the Raiders.

Here's where things stand in the division...

**AFC North Standings (through Week 5)**
Team	Record	Div. Record	Conf. Record	Streak	Scoring Differential
Baltimore Ravens	3-1	1-0	2-1	Won 2	+62
Cincinnati Bengals	3-2	1-0	3-1	Won 2	+16
Cleveland Browns	2-2	0-1	2-2	Lost 1	-19
Pittsburgh Steelers	3-2	0-1	2-2	Won 1	+13

Here are the full standings.

Hines Ward Moves Up Career Leader Boards In Sunday's Win Over Titans

2011-10-10T22:02:04Z

Four games into the 2011 NFL season, we hadn’t heard Hines Ward’s name called too frequently. Ward had just 13 receptions through four weeks, including a one-catch game in the Steelers Week 4 loss to the Texans. Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Arians finally got the heart and soul of their offense involved more regularly in Week 5, however, and the results were outstanding. Ward hauled in seven catches in the 38-17 win. He only amassed 54 receiving yards, but Roethlisberger was clearly trying to get the ball out more quickly this week after being battered and bruised in the pocket the previous two weeks. Most importantly, two of Ward’s seven catches went for touchdowns. They were his first two TDs of the season.

Ward, in his 14th season, continues to climb the career leader boards in every significant statistical category for receivers. Let’s first take a look at his career numbers:

Receptions: 974
Receiving Yards: 11,892
Receiving Touchdowns: 85

Here’s where he stacks up against the competition for his career.

Receptions: 8th
Receiving Yards: 20th
Receiving Touchdowns: 85

Ward will not be catching the seven players ahead of him in career receptions anytime soon. Isaac Bruce is seventh on the list with 1,024 catches. With 11 games still remaining on the schedule this year, Ward has a shot at catching Bruce sometime in December. Of course, he’ll be honored sooner than that when he eclipses the 1,000 career receptions plateau sometime next month.

Ward is, however, likely to pass Hall of Famer Michael Irvin (11,904) this coming Sunday provided he has at least 13 receiving yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Seems like a pretty safe bet that Ward will bump The Playmaker down to No. 20 all-time in that department.

Finally, Ward moved up several spots in the career receiving TDs charts. Heading into Week 5, his 83 TDs were the 19th most ever. Ward’s first TD of the afternoon put him in a tie for 16th with Andre Rison, Tommy McDonald, Mark Clayton and Irving Fryar. His second TD, a nifty catch and jump into the endzone, moved him past that quartet and into a tie at 13th with two Hall of Famers, Lance Alworth and Paul Warfield.

Impressive stuff from a future Hall of Famer himself.

The Steelers return to action in Week 6 against the Jaguars. Kickoff at Heinz Field is 1:00 pm local time.

Ben Roethlisberger Matches Career Record With Five Touchdowns In 38-17 Win Over Titans

2011-10-10T21:30:00Z

Just one short week ago, the talk of Steeler Nation was about Ben Roethlisberger’s unacceptably high rate of turnovers, and whether he’d be able to survive another game of punishing hits while nursing a sprained left foot. Well, Big Ben silenced his critics on Sunday with a masterpiece performance that propelled Pittsburgh to a resounding and much-needed win over the visiting Tennessee Titans.

Here was Big Ben’s stat line for the day:

24-of-34 (70.6%), 224 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 115.7 QB rating

Impressive stuff. Roethlisberger took fewer chances down the field which is why the yards total was relatively low. But that appeared to be by design as a result of his injured foot. The result was a far more efficient and productive day from the pocket as he got rid of the ball before taking too many hits.

Roethlisberger’s five touchdown passes matched a career-high set back on one of the more memorable nights in recent Steelers history. You surely don’t forget November 5, 2007, the night the Steelers celebrated the 75th anniversary did you? Roethlisberger also threw five TDs that night in front of a raucous Heinz Field crowd and a number of Steelers legends who were in town for the game.

Roethlisberger now has eight TDs on the year, and for the first time all season, more TDs than interceptions (six). Had he not thrown that bizarre interception right before halftime, his quarterback rating might have approached a perfect mark.

Let's hope there’s more of where that came from in the weeks ahead.

Steelers Vs. Titans: Pittsburgh Turns Weaknesses Into Strengths, Crushes Tennessee

2011-10-10T17:36:03Z

After last week's 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans, I bemoaned the Steelers' sudden vulnerability to opposing runners and their league-worst offensive line. However, Pittsburgh's dominant 38-17 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 5 mercifully showcased complete turnarounds in both areas.

Titans rusher Chris Johnson ripped off a 21-yard run off tackle on the game's first play from scrimmage, undoubtedly drawing some here-we-go-again sighs from the Steelers faithful. Fortunately, the defense held CJ2K to just 2.3 yards per carry on his subsequent 13 attempts, completely bottling up the lightning-fast runner. After getting gashed a week ago by Houston Texans back Arian Foster, it was encouraging to see the Steelers clog running lanes and get back to tackling fundamentals—particularly with starters Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith, and James Harrison out with injuries.

On the other side of the ball, the offensive line—a putrid, porous unit through four regular season games—gave quarterback Ben Roethlisberger perfect pockets to throw from almost all day, paving the way for the signal-caller's five-touchdown binge and 70.6 completion percentage. Roethlisberger was sacked just once on the day and was rarely under duress. Left tackle Max Starks was perhaps the star of the show up front, playing his first NFL game since being cut by the team this offseason.

I'm still concerned about the team's defensive injuries up front, as well as the offensive line's depth and lack of top-tier talent, especially in pass protection. But Sunday showed Steelers fans that their team is more than capable of making adjustments week-to-week and putting themselves in a position to win. Expect Pittsburgh to keep the ball rolling the next two weeks against a couple of doormat teams (the Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals) before the New England Patriots come to town in Week 8.

Steelers Vs. Titans: Reaction To Pittsburgh's 38-17 Victory

2011-10-10T15:21:40Z

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed a win on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, not because they were on the edge of losing control of their season, but just so that that they and their fans could feel good about what they were trying to get done. Mission accomplished, I guess. They beat up on the Titans 38-17, even though some of their best players were either out or dealing with injuries. Our Steelers blog Behind the Steel Curtain isn't surprised.

The question is, how? With an injury list that prominently featured some of the Steelers' marquee players, it was understandable that many felt they had no chance against a surprisingly strong Titans team. Of course, the injury list was headed by the only person who actually played, Ben Roethlisberger. Much has already been made, and rightly so, of Ben's stellar play while injured. That didn't surprise me. Honestly, I'm not sure he doesn't prefer it that way. It takes some of the pressure off of him to perform well and leaves him free to improvise in unexpected ways.

The Steelers were on Sunday the team we expected them to be before the Season started, and now everything is suddenly right in Pittsburgh.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain, and continue to follow the rest of this StoryStream for updates on the Titans vs. Steelers matchup.

Week 5 NFL Scores: Bengals Beat Jaguars To Move To 3-2

2011-10-09T20:58:25Z

The Cincinnati Bengals moved to 3-2 and kept pace with the Steelers, one loss behind the division-leading Baltimore Ravens.

Rookie quarterback Andy Dalton looked very good, throwing for 179 yards and two touchdowns, though he did throw an interception. The Bengals defense did give up 296 yards of total offense, but used two forced fumbles to help out their cause, including one that was returned for a touchdown as the final seconds ticked off the clock. They also limited all-everything Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew to 85 total yards (all rushing) on 19 carries.

Cedric Benson struggled to get any footing in the running game, rushing for only 53 yards in 24 carries. Bernard Scott scored the only rushing touchdown of the day for the Bengals. Jermaine Gresham and rookie wide receiver A.J. Green were the targets on the touchdown receptions. The Ravens and Browns were both idle on the day.

Keep coming back to SB Nation for all of your Pittsburgh Steelers news.

Titans Vs. Steelers Final Score: Ben Roethlisberger's Five Touchdown Passes Lead To Convincing 38-17 Win

2011-10-09T20:10:22Z

Ben Roethlisberger threw his fifth touchdown pass of the day in the waning minutes of the Steelers’ matchup versus the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers were already ahead by two touchdowns, but they kept throwing, and Mike Wallace streaked toward the end zone, badly beating the Titans’ secondary and easily catching a perfectly-thrown ball.

With two minutes left, the Titans are turning to the run, so it appears this one is over. The Steelers will be 3-2, and their offense finally looks like it’s firing on all cylinders, despite continued problems with the health (and talent level) of the offensive line. It has been a great day for Roethlisberger, who threw his five touchdowns despite a sprained foot. It was also a career day for Jonathan Dwyer, who has 117 yards so far, thanks mostly to one huge run. The Steelers also have gotten great play from Mike Wallace (who had 82 yards receiving) and Ike Taylor (who shut down the receivers he covered, as usual).

UPDATE: It’s final. The Steelers win, 38-17.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

Titans Vs. Steelers: Damian Williams Scores To Narrow Lead To 31-17

2011-10-09T19:59:58Z

The Tennessee Titans have narrowed the Steelers’ lead to 31-17 with a touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Damian Williams. The Steelers’ secondary left Williams open after a breakdown involving Keenan Lewis and Ryan Mundy.

There are now three and a half minutes remaining, so it looks like time for another onside kick for Tennessee.

Keeping track of the Steelers’ many injuries today: Isaac Redman’s apparent injury was just cramping, and he’ll be fine. The Steelers have relied much more on the pass in this game, even after they took a big league.

… The Titans did in fact try the onside kick, but Emmanuel Sanders quickly recovered it for the Steelers, so Pittsburgh will now try to get a first down or two and run out the clock. The Titans are out of timeouts. Jonathan Dwyer is in at running back. It appears the Steelers are headed for a 3-2 record.