Final Score: Steelers 37, Panthers 19
Antonio Brown celebrates his first of two third-quarter touchdown catches. (Getty)
Coming off a blowout loss and facing a 2-0 team on the road, the Pittsburgh Steelers had their work cut out from them on Sunday night in Charlotte.
But the Steelers defense shut down Cam Newtown and Co. in the first half, Pittsburgh’s offense came to life in the second and the Steelers routed the Panthers 37-19 at Bank of America Stadium.
Read on for a recap and highlights roundup.
Click here for a full box score.
The Teams Traded Field Goals in the 1st Quarter
Graham Gano celebrates his first-quarter field goal Sunday night against the Steelers. (Getty)
There wasn’t much offense in the first quarter, and neither team found its way into the endzone.
Carolina took a 3-0 lead on a 40-yard Graham Gano field goal with 6:40 left in the quarter. Pittsburgh didn’t get on the board until Shaun Suisham connected on a 42-yarder with 7 seconds left in the quarter to tie it at 3.
A Pair of Sean Suisham Field Goals Put the Steelers in Front
Shaun Suisham hits 45-yard FG & Steelers head into half leading Panthers, 9-3.
• Roethlisberger: 15-22, 134 Yds
• Newton: 12-17, 117 Yds
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 22, 2014
The second quarter went by, just as the first did, without a touchdown. But a pair of Suisham field goals – one from 24 yards out and one from 45 — gave Pittsburgh a 9-3 lead.
The Steelers Offense Came to Life in the 2nd Half
After going the first half without scoring a touchdown, the Steelers scored two in the third quarter to stretch their lead to 23-6.
Ben Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a 7-yard touchdown on Pittsburgh’s first drive of the second half to make it 16-3 with 11:10 left in the third quarter.
Gano’s 40-yard field goal made it 16-6 with 6:21 left in the quarter, but Rothlisberger and Brown connected on another 7-yard touchdown strike, this one making it 23-6 Pittsburgh with 2:22 left in the quarter.
Newton hit Greg Olsen for a 37-yard touchdown strike that made it 23-13 with 13:28 left in the game, but the Steelers made it 30-13 when Philly Brown muffed a punt and Robert Golden recovered it in the endzone with 11:17 left in the game.
LeGarrette Blount extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 37-13 when he scored on an 8-yard run with 5:38 left in the game. Carolina inched closer with a 35-yard touchdown strike from backup QB Derek Anderson to Kelvin Benjamin. Carolina went for 2 to try to make it a two-possession game, but Anderson’s pass to Benjamin was incomplete.
