Titans forge 13th win of the season.

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The Tennessee Titans are now 13-2 thanks primarily to their defense.  With Kyle Vanden Bosch,Albert Haynesworth, and Kevin Vickerson missing from the lineup, Javon Kearse, Keith Bullock, and Michael Griffin along with a couple of rookies proved to be too much for Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers in their pivotal AFC matchup in Nashville today.  Today's game, which was predicted to be a very physical and hard hitting contest between two of the NFL's premier defenses, lived up to its billing as the Titans defended their home turf and handed the Steelers their fourth loss of the season.  The final score 31-14 does not reflect competitiveness of this matchup.

Pittsburgh piled up 374 total yards while the Titans amassed 323 and became the first team to gain more than 300 against the Steelers top rated defense this season.  Time of possesion and penalties were almost equal for both teams as this was a fairly clean, penalty free yet hard hitting, defensive struggle that came down to turnovers.

The Titans had only four flags thrown against them and never turned the ball over whereas the Steelers turned it over four times, one of which was at the Titan's one yard line.  Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, in an attempt to take the ball in for the score, was violently hit and coughed up the football.  This became indicative of Roethlisberger's day as he threw two interceptions and fumbled twice.  He was also sacked five times by the Titans defense.

Despite the turnovers, the Steelers managed to keep the game close until the fourth quarter, and they actually led 14-10 after Roethlisberger completed a 21 yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward in the third quarter. That would be their last score of the game as QB Kerry Collins and the Titans offense scored 21 of their points off Steeler turnovers.

Collins who did not get sacked or intercepted completed 20 of 29 attempts for a total of 216 yards  and one touchdown.  "Smash N Dash", Lendale White and Chris Johnson ran for a combined 117 yards and two touchdowns against the NFL's number one overall defense.  Justin Gage caught five passes for a total of 104 yards one of which was a touchdown strike from Collins.  But agian, the most important statistic of this day for the Titans was the turnover count.  They had none!

In the loosing effort, Pittsburgh's running backs were not successful against the Titans defense.  They only gained 57 yards whereas the Steelers' Heinz Ward and Santonio Holmes caught a combined twelve passes for a total of 212 yards and two touchdowns.  Ben Roethlisberger completed 26 of 40 passes for a total of 331 yards and two touchdowns, one each to Ward and Holmes.  Ben's two fumbles and two interceptions though, led to the Steelers defeat.  His last pick came with less than a minute left in the game and was recorded by Griffin who returned it 73 yards for the final nail in the coffin.

Titans fans have received an early Christmas present this year.  Their team now has secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and even though there were many Steeler fans in attendance, they continued to be among the loudest in the NFL.  Even well after the game, the roar continued as they made their way out of LP Field.  It has been 9 years in the making, but the Titans again are the AFC's top rated team, and the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee are "buzzing" with excitement.

These two teams may very well meet here again in the AFC Championship later in January 2009.  One thing is certain:  If they do get a rematch, that game, as this one was, will be a very physical hard-hitting contest, and the old AFC rivalry will be renewed yet again.  Titans Len Dale White and Keith Bullock both stomped on terrible towels at the end of todays game, acts of which will certainly be "bulliten board material" and fuel to throw on the fire should the two teams match up again.

For right now, Santa Claus has come early this year, and he has left a wonderful and early present for the "Titans Nation."  All is still good in Nashville!