STEELERS REMAIN PERFECT WITH WIN
Pittsburgh defeats previously unbeaten Titans to push record to 6-0
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers rode a big first half to a 2724 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in Nashville.
The Steelers built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, then held on as Stephen Gostkowski missed wide right on a potential tying 45-yard field goal with 19 seconds left.
Pittsburgh (6-0) not only remained unbeaten but also knocked the Titans (5-1) from the ranks of the undefeated.
Roethlisberger was 32 of 49 with three interceptions and two touchdown passes to Diontae Johnson. Benny Snell added a touchdown run.
Ryan Tannehill completed 18 of 30 passes for 220 yards for Tennessee, with scoring passes to Corey Davis and A.J. Brown, who had 153 receiving yards. Derrick Henry ran for 75 yards and a touchdown.
The Steelers ate up 9:18 on the game's first possession, moving 75 yards in 16 plays and taking a 7-0 lead on Roethlisberger's 11-yard toss to Johnson, who beat coverage by cornerback Tye Smith.
Next time up, Pittsburgh moved 61 yards in 13 plays and went ahead 14-0 on Snell's 1-yard sweep.
The Titans put together a 12-play 75-yard drive and pulled to within 14-7 in the second quarter on Tannehill's 4-yard scoring pass to Davis, who is just off the COVID-19 list.
The Steelers answered with Chris Boswell's 38-yard field goal for a 17-7 lead.
The Titans offence faltered, and Ray-Ray McCloud returned the resulting punt 57 yards to the Tennessee 17 with 1:35 left in the half. That was enough time for Roethlisberger and Johnson to hook up again, with Johnson spinning away from coverage at the 5 to polish off a 9-yard touchdown play for a 24-7 halftime score.
Boswell tacked on a 30-yarder in the third quarter for a 27-7 advantage.
Brown was untouched as he turned Tannehill's short pass into a 73-yard scoring play to close it to 27-14.
Jayon Brown's interception of a Roethlisberger pass set up Gostkowski's 51-yard field goal to cut it to 27-17 heading into the fourth quarter.
Henry went airborne for a oneyard touchdown to make it 27-24 with 10:13 left in regulation.
BREES TOTALS THREE TDS AS SAINTS BEAT PANTHERS
Drew Brees passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another as the New Orleans Saints held off the visiting Carolina Panthers 27-24.
Brees completed 29 of 36 passes for 287 yards as the Saints (4-2) won their third consecutive game, defeating their NFC South rivals who fell to 3-4.
Teddy Bridgewater, who backed up Brees the last two seasons before signing with the Panthers in the off-season, completed 23 of 28 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns.
Wil Lutz's 43-yard field goal with 7:59 remaining gave New Orleans a 27-24 lead.
Bridgewater, who helped lead the Saints to a 5-0 record while Brees was sidelined by a thumb injury last season, drove Carolina to the New Orleans 38. But he was sacked by Marcus Davenport on third down at the 47.
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule sent Joey Slye out to try what would have been an NFL-record 65-yard field goal, but Slye's kick fell just short and the Saints ran out the clock.
Lutz's 41-yard field goal gave the Saints a 24-17 lead midway through the third quarter.
Curtis Samuel's five-yard touchdown run pulled the Panthers even at the end of the third quarter.
The Saints held the football for more than eight minutes on the game's first possession, driving to Brees' four-yard touchdown pass to Jared Cook on the 14th play of the drive.
Slye's 43-yard field goal on the ensuing possession cut the lead to 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Brees leaped one yard for a touchdown before Bridgewater threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Moore, trimming the lead to 14-10.
After a fumble by Brees, Bridgewater's seven-yard touchdown pass to Moore gave the Panthers their first lead at 17-14 with 1:44 left in the half.
Brees then drove the Saints 75 yards in the final minute and half, throwing a four-yard touchdown to Deonte Harris with two seconds left in the quarter to take a 21-17 halftime lead.
The Saints allowed season ticket-holders into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the first time this season and the attendance was capped at 3,000.