NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Steelers searched for their conference's No. 1 playoff seed here yesterday and instead the Tennessee Titans planted them.

The final verdict came in at 31-14, the worst loss of 2008 for the Steelers, who ended the meaningful portion of their season with an 11-4 record, the No. 2 seed and a meaningless game awaiting them against Cleveland Sunday at Heinz Field.

Their five-game winning streak ended rudely with Titans gleefully stomping and wiping their noses on Terrible Towels at LP Field as Tennessee claimed the AFC's top playoff seed. That means if the two teams win their first playoff games, the conference title game will be held in Nashville and not in Heinz Field.

"They were the best team in the AFC today," Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. "Obviously, you have to come through here now. That's what today was all about."

The victory was complete for the Titans (12-2). They ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns against the league's No. 2 rush defense, became the first team to gain 300 yards against that defense this season, and sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times, forcing him to fumble four times (losing two). Titans safety Michael Griffin intercepted him twice, returning one for an 83-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left.

Even normally reliable kicker Jeff Reed missed a 33-yard field-goal attempt.

"They play hard, man," Clark said. "They came out, they ran the ball, they threw the ball, they played defense. They were an unbelievable team today, and we did nothing to stop them."

Tennessee quarterback Kerry Collins completed 20 of 29 for 216 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, becoming the only quarterback to ring up a 100 passer rating against the Steelers' defense this season. He was sacked just once, by James Harrison, Harrison's team-record 16th, as the Steelers failed to apply much pressure to the 35-year-old former Penn State quarterback.

"To beat a team like the Steelers, you've got to be aggressive," Collins said.

Roethlisberger completed 26 of 40 for 331 yards and touchdowns of 31 yards to Santonio Holmes and 21 to Hines Ward in the second and third quarters that temporarily put the Steelers in front, 14-10. But he was under a heavy rush, did not protect the ball and again got little help from his running game even though the Titans were without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and end Kyle Vanden Bosch.

"Today wasn't one of our better performances," said Ward, who led all receivers with 109 yards on seven receptions.

The Steelers managed a mere 71 yards rushing with Willie Parker gaining only 29 on 18 carries -- six of those for losses and three other carries for no gain. They set a negative tone early when they had a first down at the Tennessee 3 on their second possession.

Parker hit right guard for a 1-yard loss, hit right tackle for 3 more yards in losses and then Roethlisberger lost a fumble while scrambling that the Titans recovered at their 5.

"When you defend a short field and you get out of a red zone situation and don't give up any points, it's uplifting not only for a defense, but for a football team," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

The Titans took that emotional lift and ran to a 10-0 second-quarter lead on a 42-yard Rob Bironas field goal and a 34-yard touchdown pass from Collins to Justin Gage after another lost Roethlisberger fumble two plays later.

"I didn't play well," Roethlisberger said. "Obviously, I'm never one to shy away from taking the blame, but that's a great football team. Whether it was their pass rush or their secondary, they're a great football team and they made plays all over the field."

The Steelers, though, did not wilt at that point and came back on Roethlisberger's two touchdown passes. Holmes made a nice diving catch of the first in the second quarter. Ward caught his at the 5 and took a big hit from cornerback Cortland Finnegan that helped him bounce into the end zone for a score.

That put the Steelers in front, 14-10, with 9:41 left in the third quarter, and the game started to look like a classic between the top two seeds.

The Titans reclaimed the lead in the third quarter on a 21-yard run by Chris Johnson, the longest touchdown run against the Steelers this season and only the fourth run of more than 20 yards.

"We're not used to seeing that," defensive end Aaron Smith said. "They ran the ball very effectively against us today."

And the Steelers' offense kept giving them more chances. Five plays after Johnnson's touchdown put Tennessee in front, 17-14, Roethlisberger's pass for Nate Washington was picked off by Griffin.

Tennessee took over at the Steelers' 37. The Titans lined up to kick a field goal from their 4 on fourth down, but the officials penalized Chris Hoke for barking out "hut-hut" on defense. With a first down at the 2, it took LenDale White two 1-yard cracks to score his 15th rushing touchdown of the season on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The lead was 10 points and the Steelers never again threatened.

Perhaps these two teams will meet again next month, with more than a seeding on the line. But it was not losing the top seed that bothered the Steelers as much as the way they did it.

"I think losing the way we lost, the showing we did, sits with you longer than losing the No. 1 seed," Smith said.