It wasn’t pretty, but it rarely is in recent years for the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers traveled to Nashville for a highly anticipated early-season AFC showdown and thumped the Tennessee Titans 19-11 thanks to an exceptional performance by Dick LeBeau’s defense. Pittsburgh’s defense allowed just one touchdown late in garbage time, a score that made the final score much closer than the game really was. The Steelers’ defense forced seven turnovers, recorded 4 sacks, and allowed just 232 yards, the majority of which came in the final five minutes of the game with the Steelers comfortably up by 16 points. The seven turnovers were the most in a single game since a Week 11 shutout of the Baltimore Ravens back in 1997.
To a few stats that tell the story of just how dominant the Steelers were against the Titans…
Total Yards: 238
Total Yards though 3 2/3 quarters: 126
Interceptions: 3
Fumbles Forced: 7
Fumbles Recovered: 4
Turnovers: 7
Sacks: 4
Time of Possession: 26:20
Rushing Attempts: 22
Rushing Yards: 46
3rd Down Efficiency: 4-of-14
3rd Down Conversions Prior To Lone TD Drive: 1
Chris Johnson Rushing Attempts/Yards: 16 attempts/34 yards.
To some of the standout individual performances on Sunday…
Troy Polamalu – All No. 43 does is make plays. Add another interception to Polamalu’s resume, the 22nd of his career. Polamalu also had one sack and three tackles, one of which was also highlight material. On the Titans’ only TD drive of the game, they were initially snuffed out near the goal line when Polamalu timed Kerry Collins’s snap count perfectly and flew over the top of the Titans’ O-line to wrestle down Collins before he got bury forward for positive yardage.
James Harrison – Ten tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles. James ‘Deebo’ Harrison was at or around the football all afternoon. A healthy Harrison is a scary, scary proposition for opposing offenses.
Lawrence Timmons – Credit Timmons with 12 tackles on the day along with one forced fumble. No. 94 has arrived ladies and gentlemen, and his presence patrolling the middle of LeBeau’s defense potentially makes this unit the best we’ve seen in Iron City for a long, long time.
LaMarr Woodley – Make it ten straight games that LaMarr Woodley has recorded at least half a sack. Woodley quietly had a tremendous game, recording one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble.
SB Nation Pittsburgh will examine the struggles of the Steelers’ offense this week, but for now we celebrate another dominant performance by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense.
2-0. Go Steelers!