The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3), in the opening game of Week 9 in the NFL, emerged victorious against the Tennessee Titans (3-5) at Acrisure Stadium during Thursday Night Football. Pittsburgh bounced back after their Week 8 defeat to Jacksonville, as head coach Mike Tomlin decided to start quarterback Kenny Pickett, despite his recent rib injury.
Steelers vs. Titans score, takeaways: Kenny Pickett, strong run game fuel Pittsburgh's latest comeback win – https://t.co/8YTVMPgUck https://t.co/mGUc0wZuxc
— BryanDeArdo (@BryanDeArdo) November 3, 2023
On the other hand, Tennessee, following a tight win in Week 8 against Atlanta, saw rookie QB Will Levis back in action, while their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill remained sidelined due to an ankle sprain.”
“On the 10th play of their initial drive, Najee Harris secured a 10-yard touchdown for the Steelers. Tennessee’s first offensive series saw them move deep into Pittsburgh’s territory, thanks to the Steelers conceding a substantial 40 yards in penalties.
On the 13th play of that drive, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt sacked Levis, even causing his helmet to come off. The Titans managed to regain the lead with Nick Folk successfully kicking a 36-yard field goal after forcing two consecutive three-and-outs from the Pittsburgh offense.
During the fourth play of their drive, Levis released the ball just in time to avoid a sack, connecting with wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 23-yard gain. Seven plays later, running back Derrick Henry reached the end zone for a Tennessee touchdown.
Chris Boswell responded with a 29-yard field goal for the Steelers in their subsequent possession. The Titans added 3 points to their tally as Levis completed back-to-back passes to wide receiver Kyle Philips for a total gain of 45 yards, setting the stage for Folk’s 36-yard field goal as the first half concluded.”
“At the halftime break, the Titans were ahead 13-10 against the Steelers. Tennessee controlled the ball for most of the first half, amassing a total of 198 yards compared to Pittsburgh’s 142. During this period, Levis threw for 153 yards, while Pickett managed 78 passing yards.
In the second half’s opening, Tennessee had a three-and-out, and Boswell successfully made a 30-yard field goal for Pittsburgh. Following that, the Titans executed a scoring drive of their own.
Four plays after Levis completed a pass to Henry, resulting in a 23-yard gain, Folk made a 48-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in the third quarter, giving the Titans a 16-13 lead.
In the late stages of the fourth quarter, Pickett delivered an accurate pass to wide receiver Diontae Johnson, resulting in a 32-yard gain. This was followed by running back Jaylen Warren’s powerful 22-yard run along the sideline. Four plays later, Pickett connected with Johnson for a 3-yard touchdown, which put the Steelers in the lead at 20-16 with 4:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Steelers secured the win.
FINAL: @Steelers improve to 5-3. #HereWeGo #TENvsPIT pic.twitter.com/sche08p1HA
— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2023
After the ensuing kickoff, Tyjae Spears brought the ball out to the Titans’ 48-yard line, but the Steelers forced a turnover on downs with 2:06 left in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh then had a three-and-out, and Tennessee advanced into the red zone during their next possession. However, Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander intercepted Pickett to seal the victory.”
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