CHRISTOPHER PANSINO – OVATHLETICS.COM
When the season began, many sports experts were predicting 1-3 for the Steelers in the first four games without suspended quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. But after a narrow 19-11 win Sunday over the Tennessee Titans the Steelers are now 2-0 with prospects looking high.
Well that is, if they had not lost starting quarterback Dennis Dixon to injury today. Dixon was injured in the second quarter with a sprained left knee. Charlie Batch, the only remaining QB on the depth chart, finished the game.
Many may wonder why Byron Leftwitch was not consideration Sunday. Well that was because he was cut Saturday to make room for an extra defensive lineman with Casey Hampton injured. With the extent of Dixon injuries unknown it is likely that the Steelers will resign Leftwitch as soon as Monday and Leftwitch could play next Sunday at Tampa.
But aside from the quarterback woes, the Steelers were the benefactors of some bad play by the Titans. The Titans turned over the ball seven times in the game. Four of Tennessee’s turnovers came in the first half allowing the Steelers to pull ahead 13-3 in the first half.
The Steelers also had a sloppy game, fumbling the ball four times, but only turning the ball over once. The four fumbles were all from the quarterback position. Dixon fumbled twice, losing the ball once, and Batch also fumbled twice, but he did not lose either one.
The turnover bug also bit titans quarterback Vince Young. Young threw two interceptions and also fumbled the ball once. His performance was so bad that head coach Jeff Fisher pulled him in the fourth quarter for Kerry Collins. Putting Collins in paid off for Tennessee down the stretch too.
The Steelers led 19-3 before the Titans scored a touchdown and two-point conversion with 58 seconds left in the game. Then after the onside kick things seemed to get scary for the Steelers. Collins threw a 31-yard pass into the end zone that was broken up at the last second. But Tennessee drive fizzled as multiple penalties defused their momentum.
The Steelers fought of intense heat yesterday that affected most of their offensive line. There were reports of heat being registered at 99 degrees on the field before kickoff.
Pittsburgh also snapped Ed Johnsons 100 yard rushing streak at 12 games. Johnson was two games away from tying the Barry Sanders for the NFL record, but finish with 16 carries for 34 yards. Johnson had an 85 touchdown run wiped away by a holding penalty.
Sunday was only the second time the Steelers have won at Tennessee in ten tries beginning in 1997 when the franchise moved there.
