The Steelers did things differently last night. They used their place-kicker to run for a first down. They used a wide receiver to throw passes and to run for a first down. They threw to the tight end.
And they jumped off the Bus long enough to take flight on their expensive new bird that had heretofore been grounded.
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Steelers place-kicker Kris Brown dives past the Titans’ Randall Godfrey to gain a first down off a fake field goal late in the first half. The play leads to Brown’s field goal and a 17-7 halftime lead. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette) |
Plaxico Burress, their 6-foot-6 wide receiver with the big wingspan and little production, held his coming out party last night for everyone to see. He made two deep, acrobatic catches to set up two touchdowns and piled up 151 yards on six receptions as the Steelers slammed the Tennessee Titans, 34-7.
“This is one of those things you dream of when you’re a little kid and watching Monday Night Football,” said Burress.
It was something the Steelers had been dreaming of ever since they drafted him with the eighth overall pick in 2000.
“It was a big game, I was happy for him,” Coach Bill Cowher said. “He’s worked very hard.”
The Steelers fifth consecutive victory raised their record to 5-1 and ended a seven-game losing streak against the Titans, the defending Central Division champions who slipped to 2-4.
Burress became the first Steelers receiver to catch 100 yards worth of passes since the 1999 season. Quarterback Kordell Stewart has been waiting for that kind of play from a wide receiver forever. Stewart completed 13 of 22 passes for 232 yards, had a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward, no interceptions and ran for a 2-yard touchdown before bowing out in the fourth quarter.
“I set up a couple of scores, and Kordell made some great throws and we won,” said Burress, who had more yards last night than he did for the season entering the game (145).
With 62 yards, Jerome Bettis was held short of 100 yards rushing for the ninth consecutive time by Tennessee and only the second time this season, but he ran for touchdowns of 1 and 7 yards. Kris Brown kicked field goals of 42 and 27 yards.
On a night in which the Steelers’ offense had its best game of the season, the NFL’s No. 2-ranked defense shut down the Titans.
Tennessee scored early on Steve McNair’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Frank Wycheck that forged a 7-7 tie. But they did little after that. The Steelers recovered two fumbles and intercepted two passes, including one by nose tackle Kendrick Clancy on the 1 late in the game to keep the Titans out of the end zone.
“This was a big game for our team,” Cowher said. “It was a great performance for our whole team.”
The Steelers throttled the Titans, who managed just 57 yards rushing. Of those, 13 yards came on 10 carries by Eddie George, who left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. McNair completed 14 of 23 passes for 175 yards -- he threw two interceptions and was sacked three times.
Tommy Maddox completed the only pass he threw in relief of Stewart, and it covered 57 yards to Troy Edwards as the quarterbacks combined for 289 yards passing to go with 133 rushing.
“We’re a running football team, make no mistake about it,” Cowher said. “But [the receivers] also like to get the football once in a while too.”
Things got going quickly for the Steelers, when they took the opening drive 78 yards for a touchdown.
The long first drive included another new wrinkle from offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey -- passes to the tight end. Stewart completed two of them to Mark Bruener, who caught three last night. Bettis gave them a 7-0 lead by cracking over from the 1.
They blew a chance to increase their lead moments later when linebacker Jason Gildon stripped George of the ball and recovered the fumble at the Titans’ 36.
The Steelers, though, could not cash it in when Brown sent a 48-yard field-goal attempt wide to the left and the score remained 7-0.
The Titans changed that in a hurry. McNair completed consecutive passes of 21 and 17 yards then found Wycheck for another dozen.
Rookie linebacker Kendrick Bell slammed into halfback Mike Green for a 2-yard loss to force a third down at the 4. But Bell was victimized when he was late covering Wycheck, who caught McNair’s pass in the back of the end zone for a 7-7 tie.
The Steelers lost another opportunity after Burress caught a 33-yard pass over 5-9 cornerback Donald Mitchell to the Titans’ 30. Stewart, though, was sacked twice in a row, pushing the ball back to the 43, then threw incomplete, and the Steelers punted.
They did not let their next chance get away, with a helping hand from the Titans.
Safety Brent Alexander made a leaping, left-handed interception of a McNair pass intended for Wycheck at the Titans’ 36.
They went nowhere after Stewart’s third-down pass to Amos Zereoue gained nothing. But after the play, vagabond safety Perry Phenix pushed Ward. The officials called a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as Titans Coach Jeff Fisher went berserk on Phenix.
Instead of trying a long field goal or punting, the Steelers had a first down at the Titans’ 20. Stewart completed a 19-yard pass to Bobby Shaw on third down. He then rolled to his right from the 3 and, with linebacker Randall Godfrey hanging on him, he tossed a touchdown pass to Ward for a 14-7 lead.
Joe Nedney bounced a 48-yard field goal attempt off the right upright for the Titans, and the Steelers moved right back in for Brown’s 42-yard field goal to give them a 17-7 halftime lead. That was anything but a conventional drive, however. It took 11 plays to go 39 yards. It included a fake field goal in which holder Josh Miller pitched to Brown, who ran around left end for 6 yards and a first down. It also included wide receiver Hines Ward throwing a pass incomplete in the end zone.
Burress still might be looking for his first pro touchdown, but at least he began making some big-league plays last night. He made the best catch of his two NFL seasons on a deep pass from Stewart in the third quarter. All-Pro cornerback Samari Rolle, playing him man-to-man, had the pass in his hands when Burress swatted it out. The ball popped up and Burress grabbed it for a 43-yard gain to the 7.
Stewart then pitched the ball to Bettis on the left side, and the Bus plowed into the end zone for a touchdown and a 24-7 Steelers lead.
And they weren’t finished.
Ward, a former Georgia quarterback/tailback/receiver, took a direct snap from center with Stewart on the sideline and ran 36 yards, a play that led to Brown’s 27-yard field goal and a 27-7 lead with 1:42 left in the third quarter.
Mike Logan and Burress quickly increased the lead to 34-7. Logan punched the ball out of the hands of Kevin Dyson on the kickoff return and John Fiala recovered at the 29. Two plays later, Burress leaped over Rolle to catch a 28-yard pass at the 2. Stewart rolled into the end zone from there for the final score.
Burress' career game helps Stewart, offense bust loose in Monday night rout 
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