Steelers eke out victory with rally against Titans

The running game was nonexistent — again — and the run defense was even worse.

As usual.

The Pittsburgh Steelers failed to score a first-half touchdown for the fourth game in a row, and they trailed after three quarters for the sixth consecutive week.

The difference Sunday against the Tennessee Titans wasn’t just that the Steelers staged another comeback in the final 15 minutes. It’s that they made this one hold up — and they didn’t require Ben Roethlisberger’s right arm to get the job done.

A defense that was bludgeoned by the run yet again forced four turnovers, three coming in the second half. Those takeaways, plus a late fourth-down stop by a returning Joe Haden, paved the way for a 19-13 victory at Heinz Field that kept the Steelers’ playoff hopes kicking.

The Steelers got four field goals from Chris Boswell after those turnovers, with three coming in the fourth quarter to complete a rally from a 13-3 halftime deficit.

The win improved the Steelers to 7-6-1 with three games remaining and dropped Tennessee to 9-5.

“At this point in the season, we’ll take them any way we can get them,” Roethlisberger said. “A lot of props to our defense for stepping up and giving us chances. We didn’t do enough on offense.”

Roethlisberger was credited with the 40th fourth-quarter comeback of his career, but he did little down the stretch to aid the victory. The Steelers generated 39 yards and two first downs on their fourth-quarter possessions that ended with Boswell field goals of 28, 46 and 48 yards.

The offense was held to 168 yards, its lowest output in a victory since a 19-11 win in 2010 at Tennessee. The Steelers totaled a season-low 35 yards rushing.

“Extremely frustrating,” Roethlisberger said. “We felt like there were opportunities and points we couldn’t get that were left out there. We know we can always count on Boz, but obviously we want to put up more points.”

A week after allowing a season-high 242 rushing yards to Minnesota, the Steelers gave up 202 to Tennessee, including 108 to D’Onta Foreman. The Titans’ ability to run the ball and pile up first downs enabled them to possess the ball for more than 39 minutes. They ran 78 plays to the Steelers’ 45.

But as defensive captain Cameron Heyward said: “Splash plays are always an equalizer.”

Entering the game, the Steelers hadn’t forced more than two turnovers in a game this season.

“They came at crucial times,” Heyward said. “Got us back in the game, gave us the lead. We’ve been saying the dam is going to break.”

In the first half, Arthur Maulet stripped tight end Anthony Firkser of the ball, and Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered at the Tennessee 36. This led to Boswell’s 36-yard field goal that accounted for the Steelers’ only points of the opening half.

The Steelers went into intermission trailing 13-3, marking the fourth game in a row they didn’t reach the end zone in the first half. They also had five first downs — or one fewer than the Titans had on a 19-play field goal drive.

They have been outscored 91-19 in the first half over the past five games.

It took eight drives for the Steelers to get a touchdown, and Roethlisberger did the dirty work at the end of eight-play, 63-yard march. After coming up short on a quarterback sneak on second down, Roethlisberger plowed in on the next play to pull the Steelers within 13-10.

The turnover barrage began on the next series when Haden recovered a fumble at the Tennessee 41. Boswell tied the score 13-13 with 13:24 to play when he made his 28-yard kick.

The next takeaway came when Taco Charlton deflected a pass, Joe Schobert plucked the ball from the air and returned it 24 yards to the Tennessee 31. Three plays later, Boswell was called on to make a 46-yarder and give the Steelers their first lead with 7:20 to play.

The Titans’ self-destruction continued two plays later when Ryan Tannehill bobbled the snap, and T.J. Watt recovered at the Tennessee 36. Three plays later, Boswell trotted back onto the field and nailed his 48-yarder with 4:29 left.

“Anytime you get splash defensively, it’s going to change momentum,” said Watt, who set the team’s single-season sacks record. “We’ve been looking for it all season. When it comes, it comes in bunches, and we’re glad it’s coming at the right time this season.”

On the Titans’ final possession, their fate wasn’t sealed by another turnover but a fourth-down stop courtesy of Haden, who had missed the previous four games with a foot injury. The Titans already had converted a fourth-and-1 at the Steelers 32 and faced a fourth-and-6 at the 16 with 46 seconds left. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine caught a Tannehill pass short of the sticks and tried to fight for the first down only to be denied.

Haden’s stop ensured the Steelers would keep their heads above .500 as they face another division leader in Kansas City followed by divisional games against Cleveland and Baltimore.

“We’re not diagnosing the big picture,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “No need to. If we take care of business in stadium, we don’t have to look around. We have three AFC games left, two of which are AFC North games. All we have to do is focus on the stadiums we are in. That’s the message.”