5 things: Offensive bar set to historical low for Steelers, Roethlisberger in win against Titans

Five things we learned from Steelers 19, Titans 13:

1. Going low

On a day when Ben Roethlisberger moved into fifth place on the all-time passing yardage list and engineered his 40th career fourth-quarter comeback, he made history of another sort.

The offense had its least productive winning performance with Roethlisberger under center.

The Steelers totaled 168 yards against the Titans, which easily was a season low and the worst display since they put up that many yards in the 2019 season finale at Baltimore. Duck Hodges was at quarterback for that game as the Steelers limped to the finish line with a 28-10 loss that ended an 8-8 season.

The last time the Steelers won a game with fewer yards was in the second week of the 2010 season, a 19-11 victory at Tennessee. Roethlisberger wasn’t on the field that day, either, as he was at the midpoint of his four-game suspension to open the season.

Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon combined to complete 9 of 17 passes for 43 yards in that game, and the net total was 21. The Steelers got their only touchdown on an Antonio Brown punt return. Jeff Reed kicked four field goals, just as Chris Boswell did Sunday.

Until Sunday, the fewest yards the Steelers had totaled in a win with Roethlisberger taking the snaps happened all the way back in his rookie season, 2004. The Steelers put up 207 yards in a 16-7 victory against Washington in a late November game at Heinz Field. Roethlisberger had 131 yards passing, and Reed’s leg was the difference as he kicked three field goals.

The Steelers totaled several other sub 200-yard performances with Roethlisberger at quarterback, but none resulted in a victory. Until Sunday.

2. Worst foot forward

It is said that some running backs need to warm up to game conditions, that the more carries he gets, the more comfortable he feels and the more productive he becomes.

Punters have no such luxury. There is no warm-up period aside from, well, warm-ups. Pressley Harvin continues to learn that the hard way

Given a chance to pin the Titans deep after the first Steelers drive stalled at the 43, Harvin hit a 27-yarder that went out of bounds at the 30. On his next try, Harvin boomed a 51-yarder to the 10, but it backfired when Carlos Rogers embarked on a 55-yard return and was given 10 more yards of real estate courtesy of the rare penalty called against the kicking team.

Harvin was back to his old tricks when the third drive stalled. This one also went out of bounds after traveling 32 yards, giving Tennessee possession at its 47.

The final two attempts for Harvin were more satisfying: a 40-yarder in the second quarter that resulted in a fair catch at the Titans 15, and a 49-yarder in the third that featured James Pierre forcing a fumble which Tennessee recovered.

Still, Harvin finished with a 30.2-yard net average, a season-low for the rookie punter.

3. Extra effort

The Steelers traded a first-round pick to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick because they thought he could provide the type of safety play not seen here since Troy Polamalu’s prime.

Fitzpatrick hasn’t provided the kind of splash this year that he unleashed immediately upon his arrival early in the 2019 season, but he showed against the Titans that his value goes beyond breaking up passes and creating turnovers.

Fitzpatrick recovered a fumble in the second quarter that led to the first of four Boswell field goals. But his value over the course of the game came as a tackler. He led all Steelers players with 14 stops, including 12 solo. Both numbers are high and a bit unexpected for someone who is known as the last line of defense in the secondary.

Although the Titans rushed for 201 yards, coach Mike Tomlin credited Fitzpatrick with keeping the damage from reaching Vikings’ proportions when Dalvin Cook had gains of 30, 29, 20 and 16 yards in the first half. D’Onta Foreman’s two longest gains spanned 20 and 15 yards. Each time, Fitzpatrick made the tackle.

4. Line dancing

An already thin defensive line played without nose tackle Montravius Adams, who spent the week on the reserve/covid list. His absence meant Carlos Davis got a helmet for the first time since the season opener.

Davis, Henry Mondeaux and Isaiahh Loudermilk rounded out the rotation along with starters Cameron Heyward and Chris Wormley.

Wormley had five tackles, a sack and tackle for loss before leaving with a groin injury. When he departed, it put a further strain on Heyward, who had to play 73 of a possible 80 snaps.

The Steelers can hope to get Adams back before the game in Kansas City. If Wormley isn’t healed, the Steelers may have to keep bandaging together a line to surround their All-Pro defensive tackle.

5. Backup duty

With outside linebackers Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt returning from injuries that knocked them from the Vikings game 10 days earlier, Tomlin said he wanted to monitor their playing time. That meant a reliance on Taco Charlton and Derrek Tuska in certain situations.

For one game, at least, the backups rose to the occasion. Although he logged just seven snaps, Charlton had the pass deflection that led to Joe Schobert’s interception with 9:16 to play and set up Boswell’s go-ahead field goal.

The biggest of Tuszka’s 20 snaps came with 59 seconds left and the Titans driving at the Steelers 16 after an injury to Watt. He sacked Ryan Tannehill for an 8-yard loss that put the Titans in a third-and-15 hole.