The Pittsburgh Steelers took the opening kickoff on Monday Night Football and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger limped onto the field to lead the offense on its first drive. Against one of the best defenses in the league, the Steelers had success moving the ball down the field and into 49ers territory. Roethlisberger found wide receiver Mike Wallace on the sideline on a short pass and the speedy wideout took it 36 yards down the sideline before he was pushed out of bounds.
The drive would abruptly end, however, when Big Ben threw his third red-zone interception of the season. Carlos Rogers picked him off in the middle of the field as he tried to force it into the end zone.
Video of the interception below:
Rogers returned the interception to the 31 yard line. From there, Alex Smith and Frank Gore would move the ball deep into Pittsburgh territory before the Steelers defense stood tall inside the ten and forced a David Akers field goal. Gore carried the ball five times for 25 yards, as the Niners took advantage of the turnover with their longest drive, 17 plays, in three seasons. San Francisco kicker David Akers leads the league in field goals because of the Niners' persistent problems in the red zone.
Ben will hobble onto the field for the Steelers' second possession, looking to bounce back from the red-zone turnover.
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