Pittsburgh Steelers crush the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers never really had much of a chance of beating the Pittsburgh Steelers but then they hardly even put up a fight. The Panthers were decimated with just a field goal against 27 points. Ben Roethlisberger got the
practice he needed. He threw 320 yards in 22 completed passes, including a 43 yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace in the second quarter.
With the win over the Panthers, the Steelers are one step closer to a division title. They already have won a spot in the playoffs but Pittsburgh wants more.
The Steelers defence toyed with Carolina’s offence. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen was restricted to just 72 yards in the game and intercepted once without a touchdown. Clausen had a passer rating of 33.2 against the Steelers, a far
cry from his performance against the Arizona Cardinals last week. Nothing better could have been expected from a team that ranks at the bottom of the league standings. On the first play of the second quarter, Clausen was sacked for 4 yards and Carolina lost
possession. A few minutes later, Carolina had the ball again. On the first play this time, Clausen aimed for David Gettis but was intercepted by Bryant McFadden. The Steelers scored a touchdown two plays later.
The Steelers have allowed just 14.9 points per game on average. The only team that has scored 30 points against Pittsburgh this season has been the New England Patriots. Clausen is no Tom Brady.
Carolina’s running game had more life in it than Clausen’s passing, thanks solely to running back Jonathan Stewart. The Steelers are the best defensive side against the rush and Stewart still managed to run 71 yards in 18 carries.
This was Stewarts lowest total since week 12. Mike Goodson rushed just 3 yards.
Pittsburgh running backs rushed 115 yards and contributed 2 touchdowns. Rashard Mendenhall led the Steelers with 65 yards and a touchdown. Mendenhall scored his touchdown in the second quarter after Roethlisberger’s 43 yarder.
Big Ben threw a 35 yard pass to Emanuel Sanders earlier in that drive to set up Mendenhall’s 1 yard touchdown run.
Roethlisberger kept making big plays throughout the game. He threw more than 40 yards twice in the game and on five separate occasions, threw more than 20 yards. After Mendenhall’s touchdown, Big Ben threw 40 yards to Mike Wallace
in the final minutes of the quarter. The Steelers scored a field goal of that drive. Before the end of the quarter, Pittsburgh forced a turnover out of Carolina and tried to score another field goal from the 23 yard line. The 41 yard attempt was no good.
Clausen was sacked four times in the game by the Steelers defence. The only points that the Panthers scored, came off a drive in which the quarterbacks attempted just one pass. Jonathan Stewart shouldered the drive to Pittsburgh’s
9 yard line and Carolina attempted a field goal and the attempt was made good.
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