MNF Fallout: Steelers And Titans Both Have Beacons Of Hope
Perceptions were changed for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans last night despite the outcome being what many expected, the Steelers winning, though they did not cover the 6-point spread.
One thing that was surprising is that the Steelers passing game did not have any answers for the Titans secondary or pass rush, so they simply had Ben Roethlisberger hand the ball to Le’Von Bell and get out of his way.
The Titans sacked Roethlisberger six times, which may say more about the Steelers offensive line than the Titans d-line, which makes Bell’s performance all the more impressive.
The Titans led for most of the game and were ahead in the fourth quarter and that is when Bell got the majority of his 204 yards and led the rally back to beat the Titans, 27-24. Bell showed that if need be, he could lift the team on his back and carry them to wins on the ground.
In fact, in situation where Big Ben cannot throw six touchdowns, Bell showed that he was reliable. In his 33 carries, he never showed a sign of fatigue or looked like he was a out of control of the ball. This is a running back who doesn’t fumble and can consistently get positive yards and consistency is something that the Steelers desperately need if they hope to make a dent in the playoffs.
Bells ability to be a one-man show is not all we learned, though. It was rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger who led the Titans to the near victory over the Steelers. In fact the loss can be more attributed to the Titans’ defensive line inability to slow down Bell, not Mettenberger.
Mettenberger threw an early pick-six, but he never let it phase him and he went on to have a great game. He finished the night 15-of-24 with 263 yards and two touchdowns and a passer rating of 110.2. The rookie quarterback outperformed veteran Roethlisberger. Mettenberger averaged 11 yards per pass. Roethlisberger averaged just 6.5 yards a pass.
Mettenberger is beginning to make a case that it is he who should be in the pocket for the Titans, not the often-injured Jake Locker. Locker’s contract is winding down, and he has been out for over 30 games the last four seasons and even when he is playing, he was never that impressive. It is decision time in Tennessee and if Mettenberger keeps playing like he did on MNF, he will make that decision an easy one to make.
