NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans had grown so used to rallying late to win games, which is what they did four times in their 5-0 start this season, they expected to do just that once again Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Then Stephen Gostkowski’s 45-yard field-goal attempt in a bid to force overtime slipped wide right, providing a painful reminder that comeback magic doesn’t always happen.
In a matchup of the AFC’s remaining undefeated teams, the Steelers made Tennessee pay for its reliance on late-game theatrics by holding on for a 27-24 win in a game pushed back three weeks as a result of the Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak.
“That’s the story of the Titans right now,” cornerback Kevin Byard said. “We’re not starting fast enough on defense. It’s kind of like we’re anticipating or expecting the offense to always dig us out of a hole, and that can’t be the mentality. That can’t be the mentality going forward.”
Pittsburgh (6-0) converted its first seven third downs of the game, chewing through the Tennessee defense that was ranked last in the NFL in that category entering Week 7. The Titans (5-1) allowed the Steelers to convert 13 of 18 third downs in the game, and Pittsburgh scored on five of its first six drives.