Kenny Pickett threw a 3-yard landing cross to Diontae Johnson with 4:02 remaining and the Pittsburgh Steelers slipped previous the Tennessee Titans 20-16 on Thursday.
The Steelers (5-3) bounced again from a dismal loss to Jacksonville on Sunday by doing what they’ve achieved pretty repeatedly this season: hung round lengthy sufficient to tug it out ultimately. 4 of Pittsburgh’s 5 wins have are available in video games they trailed coming into the fourth quarter.
Pickett struggled at instances whereas coping with a rib damage however bought it collectively late, finishing 19 of 30 for 160 yards, together with a 32-yard strike to Johnson down the fitting sideline on the go-ahead drive. Operating again Jaylen Warren had 112 yards of complete offense, together with a 22-yard run down the sideline that helped arrange the profitable rating.
Tennessee rookie quarterback Will Levis performed effectively in his second NFL begin however could not match the electrical energy of his first, a four-touchdown masterpiece towards Atlanta. Levis threw for 262 yards however his thirty ninth and closing cross ended up being the primary interception of his profession when Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander picked off a cross on the objective line with 6 seconds remaining to seal it.
Titans large receiver Treylon Burks was carted off the sector with simply over 2 minutes to go when he landed arduous on the Acrisure Stadium turf after unsuccessfully attempting to haul in a fourth-down heave from Levis. The second-year professional lay on the Acrisure Stadium turf for a number of minutes whereas being tended to by medical workers from each groups. He was carted off the sector however did have motion in all 4 extremities. The Titans stated Burks had full motion in all his extremities, it was reported on the Amazon TV broadcast.
The Steelers moved embattled offensive coordinator Matt Canada from the teaching field to the sideline in hopes of serving to present a spark to a unit that started the evening close to the underside of the league in each significant statistical class.
The quick returns have been encouraging. Pickett directed a 78-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard landing run on Pittsburgh’s opening possession, the primary time Steelers have reached the top zone on their preliminary drive throughout a recreation Pickett began in over a 12 months.
But it wasn’t sustainable. Whereas there have been pockets of success right here and there, Pickett struggled together with his accuracy at instances and the offense reverted to the slog that is develop into its signature.
The Titans responded to take a 13-10 halftime lead behind some poised play by Levis and Derrick Henry‘s distinctive model of fury. Henry scored on a 2-yard dive – with 305-pound defensive deal with Jeffery Simmons serving as lead blocker – and Levis later ran the 2-minute offense expertly to arrange a 36-yard area objective by Folks to place Tennessee up on the break.
The groups traded area objectives within the third quarter – Pittsburgh’s after large receiver George Pickens didn’t get his left foot down for what ought to have been a landing reception – with Folks’s third area objective placing the Titans up 16-13 heading into the fourth.
Proper the place the Steelers wished them.
