PITTSBURGH — The Steelers turned three second-half turnovers into a comeback victory, prevailing 19-13 over the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field on Sunday.
The Steelers got fumble recoveries from Joe Haden and T.J. Watt and a Joe Schobert interception on three consecutive defensive possessions in the late third and early fourth quarters.
They got one three Chris Boswell field goals out of those three turnovers, moving the team from a three-point deficit to a six-point lead, but the one-score margin forced the Steelers’ defense to make a stop.
That came when cornerback Joe Haden tackled Tennessee wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine one yard short on a fourth-down try with less than a minute to play and the Titans driving inside the Steelers’ 15-yard line to secure the victory.
The Steelers fell into a 10-point hole early when Ryan Tannehill scored on a quarterback sneak and Randy Bullock hit a 26-yarder for the first quarter’s only scores. The teams traded field goals in the second quarter, with Boswell’s 56-yard attempt on the final play of the half coming short following controversial clock management by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Pittsburgh offense finally came to life in the third quarter, when Ben Roethlisberger capped off an 11-play, 39-yard drive with a quarterback sneak to bring the Steelers to within a field goal.
Then the defense took over, setting up three Boswell field goals to provide the final margin of victory. The Steelers offense struggled throughout, with Roethlisberger finishing with 148 yards on 16 of 25 passing and Najee Harris stuffed for 18 yards on 12 carries.
Tennessee was the latest Pittsburgh opponent to have rushing success, with D’Onta Foreman carrying 22 times for 108 yards. The Titans averaged 4.8 yards per carry on the game.
Tannehill, though, underwhelmed, barely matching Roethlisberger’s production on more attempts, finishing with 153 yards on 23 of 32. He also fumbled a snap and threw an interception.
The Steelers moved to 7-6-1. They will visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 26.