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Bell, Steelers down Titans

Nov 18, 2014 - 6:17 AM Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - The Titans held Ben Roethlisberger in check, but they failed to contain Le'Veon Bell.

Bell carried the ball 33 times for a career-high 204 yards and a touchdown in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 27-24 victory over Tennessee.

The Steelers got touchdowns from Bell and Antonio Brown in the fourth quarter to avoid another upset. Pittsburgh was coming off a 20-13 loss to the two-win Jets.

Roethlisberger completed 21-of-32 passes for 207 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Steelers (7-4), who have a bye next week. Brown caught nine passes for 91 yards.

"We don't have time to talk about what [Bell] did tonight," Roethlisberger said. "It was so impressive. I'm just so proud of the way he bounces back. He started out hot and I know he didn't have some games in the middle he'd like to have. But the things he does -- catches the ball, runs the ball, power, finesse ... it's really impressive and fun to watch."

Zach Mettenberger connected on 15-of-24 passes for 263 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Titans (2-8), who have lost four in a row.

"We feel very close," Mettenberger said. "We're not doing enough to win football games. That's the bottom line and the most important thing. But rookie running back, rookie left tackle, rookie quarterback, rookie middle linebacker. We're doing a lot of good things."

Bishop Sankey carried the ball 11 times for 38 yards and a score.

Trailing 24-13, the Steelers started from their own 28 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Bell ripped off three straight runs for a total of 40 yards. Heath Miller's 16-yard catch set up Bell's 5-yard TD run on the first play of the fourth.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Steelers scored another touchdown to take the lead. Bell caught two passes and ran twice to move the ball to the Tennessee 12. Brown's 12-yard TD catch made it 27-24 with 9:01 to play.

The Pittsburgh defense forced the Titans to punt again. Markus Wheaton moved the sticks on 3rd-and-4 and Bell did the rest, as the Steelers ran the final 6:58 off the clock.

"Not a perfect night but really a great night for us in that we were down by 11, and we had an opportunity to bounce back," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "And I think anytime you can do that and gain victory you grow from it and grow from it in the right ways."

The Steelers marched down the field on the game's opening possession. Bell carried the ball six times for 37 yards, but the visitors settled for a 49- yard Shaun Suisham field goal.

Then, on Tennessee's first offensive play of the night, Mettenberger threw an interception that William Gay returned 28 yards for a touchdown.

Instead of getting rattled, the Titans responded with a quick score. Kendall Wright's 14-yard catch combined with a facemask penalty moved the ball to the Pittsburgh 35. Wright added a 23-yard catch before Sankey scored from nine yards out.

The Steelers followed with a 14-play drive that took seven minutes off the clock. The lengthy march resulted in a 23-yard Suisham field goal with 1:03 left in the first quarter.

Ryan Succop made a 20-yard field goal on the next possession.

Pittsburgh had a chance to extend its lead before the half, but Roethlisberger was picked off by Jason McCourty. On the very next play, Mettenberger threw an 80-yard bomb to Nate Washington for a touchdown to give the Titans a 17-13 lead.

Tennessee scored another touchdown on its second possession of the second half. Faced with a 1st-and-20, Mettenberger hooked up with Justin Hunter for a 36-yard gain. The Titans moved the ball to the 4-yard line and Mettenberger found Chase Coffman in the end zone.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 42-31 ... Tennessee sacked Roethlisberger five times ... Titans tight end Delanie Walker missed the game due to a concussion. He was limited in Saturday's practice, but was not cleared to play Monday.