by Tyler Totten
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans’ struggles continued as they fell to the Pittsburgh
Steelers 27-24 at LP Field on Nov. 17 in a tough conference game.
The 2-10 Titans lost another
hard-fought game against the 7-5 Steelers on ESPN's Monday Night Football. The
Steeler’s running back, Le’Veon Bell, steamrolled the Titans' defense by rushing
for 204 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
“It was pretty frustrating, knowing
they were going to run and not being able to stop it,” Titans' linebacker Avery
Williamson said. “(Bell) is just the kind of guy that sits back there and waits
and waits, and when you try to figure out where he’s going, you get out of your
gaps.”
Although they lost, the Titans
played a statistically sound game. Rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger threw
for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Their defense also held the Steelers offense
to only 206 rushing yards. The defense sacked Steelers quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger five times for a loss of 27 yards.
Titans play-by-play announcer Mike
Keith was optimistic about the team's future after the game.
“Mettenberger is getting more
comfortable,” Keith said. “He’s adjusting well and played very well against the
defenses of both the Ravens and the Steelers. He still has a lot to work on,
but each week we see a little more out of him.”
Mettenberger replaced veteran
quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who was filling in for the injured Jake Locker.
He made a key mistake in the first
quarter by throwing an interception to Pittsburgh’s corner back William Gay,
who returned the ball 28 yards for a touchdown. Mettenberger realized his
throwing form caused him to throw the interception, and he accepted full
responsibility for what happened.
“I throw picks to the other team
(with that form),” Mettenberger said. “I’ve been in a lot of situations in my
life where it wasn’t looking good for me, so I’d rather take the blame than
maybe some guy who can’t mentally handle it and put him in a jar.”
Mettenberger was replaced by the
original starting quarterback Jake Locker after suffering a right shoulder
sprain in the third quarter while playing against the Houston Texans on Nov. 30.
The coaching staff is optimistic, however, that he will start against the Giants.
Over the off-season last year, the
Titans defense shifted from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, causing the players to
adjust to a new game style. Although much still needs improvement, they held
Roethlisberger to 207 yards with a Quaterback Rating of 66.6.
Titans' defensive coordinator Ray
Horton feels confidant the players are getting more comfortable and will
continue to improve.
“You don’t need GPS to get home, do
you?” Horton asked. “But if you’ve just moved into a new city, you have to
watch where you’re going. You’re worried about everything. It takes awhile. But
once you get comfortable with where you are, you just get behind the wheel and
drive.”
Although the light at the end of the
tunnel is hard to see for the Titans, Keith remains optimistic about how they
are performing and how well they are adjusting to changes.
“(The Titans) have made a lot of
changes,” Keith added. “We want for at the end of the season to be able to look
and see that we are on the right track and moving forward. We are getting there
slowly but surely, and I plan to see more positive signs as the year goes on.”
The Titans are scheduled to play the
New York Giants on Dec. 7 at LP Field. For more information about the Titans, visit www.titansonline.com.
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