Sep 22, 2014 6 min read

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A defense that had been terrible in the first two games, finally put together a solid effort.

An offense that had been struggling since putting up 27-first half points in the opener against Cleveland, finally woke from its slumber, rushing for 264 yards.

It added up to an important road victory for the Steelers, as Le’Veon Bell rushed for 147 yards, LeGarrette Blount added 118, and Ben Roethlisberger threw a pair of third quarter touchdown passes to Antonio Brown, defeating the Carolina Panthers, 37-19, at Bank of America Stadium Sunday night.

“I’m not going to crown them,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin of his team. “They did what was necessary. They hung together. There’s a lot to be learned from that and a lot to be gained, and hopefully we will.”

It was a costly victory, however, for the Steelers (2-1).

Cornerback Ike Taylor suffered a fractured right forearm when he was hit by teammate Lawrence Timmons while making a tackle. And linebackers Ryan Shazier (knee) and Jarvis Jones (wrist) also suffered injuries. They will be evaluated when the team gets back to Pittsburgh.

“It stinks,” said defensive end Brett Keisel of the injury to Taylor. “We all know Ike. We all know the type of player he is, the type of competitor he is. We all know how tough he is.

“He just loves the game. He loves preparing. He loves competing. It was hard seeing him down there. He’s such an iron man. He’s played so many games. He’s played more games than any of us on defense. We love him. We know he’ll continue to lead and hopefully heal up fast.”

Carolina came out throwing against a Pittsburgh defense that had allowed 348 yards rushing in its first two games.

Cam Newton completed his first four passes before throwing a pair of incompletions from the Pittsburgh 22 and the Panthers were forced to settle for a 40-yard Graham Gano field goal and a 3-0 lead.

That lead, the only one by Carolina (2-1) was short-lived.

Pittsburgh answered with a field goal drive of its own at the end of the first quarter with the help of a 42-yard pass interference penalty on safety Thomas DeCoud against Darrius Heyward-Bey to set up a 42-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham that tied the game at 3-3.

Carolina punter Brad Nortman pinned the Steelers back at their own 7 with a 65-yard kick and a penalty for a block in the back against Terance Garvin, but Pittsburgh put together perhaps its best drive of the season, moving the ball 87 yards on 16 plays.

Markus Wheaton appeared to catch a 6-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger on third down, but it was ruled that he had stepped out of bounds before catching the ball with a defensive back draped on him. The Steelers instead settled for a 24-yard field goal and a 6-3 lead.

Carolina drove to midfield with just under two minutes remaining in the half, but Newton’s third down pass intended for tight end Greg Olsen fell incomplete. Defensive end Cameron Heyward put a big hit on Newton as he threw the ball and the Panthers’ quarterback, who missed the team’s opener with bruised ribs, was very slow to get up.

With 1:35 remaining in the second quarter, the Steelers took possession of the ball at their own 20 and moved quickly to the Carolina 28. But guard David DeCastro drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty moving the ball back to the 39.

Roethlisberger threw a 12-yard pass to Bell to get the ball back to the Carolina 27 and set up a 45-yard field goal by Suisham that gave the Steelers a 9-3 halftime lead. The field goal was Suisham’s 23rd in a row without a miss, setting a team record.

The Steelers opened things up in the third quarter.

On Carolina’s opening possession, Jones sacked Newton, forcing a fumble that Jason Worilds recovered at the Panthers’ 17. It was Pittsburgh’s first forced turnover of the season.

The Steelers failed to gain a first down from there, but the Panthers jumped offside with Pittsburgh lined up for a field goal. With a new set of downs, Roethlisberger threw a 7-yard TD pass to Antonio Brown for a 16-3 lead.

“It was clutch,” said defensive end Cam Heyward of the turnover. “We were getting stops, but to get the turnover and get it in their territory, it makes it easier for our offense and gives them a breather.”

The Panthers answered with a field goal drive, but Bell put the game away with a career-long 81-yard with the Steelers pinned back inside their own 10 following a penalty. Bell took the ball up the middle, cut to his right and was off to the races, finally getting caught from behind at the Carolina 11.

“Our offensive line did a great job of driving them off the line,” said Bell. “The hole was probably the biggest I’ve had in my career. I hit it and I kept running until I couldn’t run no more.”

Roethlisberger connected with Antonio Brown on a second touchdown pass, this one from four yards out, as the Steelers took a 23-6 lead.

Newton threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Olsen to make it 23-13, but after forcing Pittsburgh to punt, return man Philly Brown muffed the kick inside his own 10. He was then hit by Shamarko Thomas and the ball squirted loose again, this time rolling into the end zone where it was recovered by Robert Golden for a touchdown and a 30-13 Pittsburgh lead.

Blount then capped off a 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter – 50 of which on a Blount run – with an 8-yard touchdown run to make it 37-13.

He and Bell were the first Steelers running backs in 28 years to top 100 yards in the same game. Ernest Jackson and Walter Abercrombie last accomplished that feat in 1986.

“We both had 100?” said Blount, who didn’t think he got to the century mark. “That’s great. I’m loving it.”

Left guard Ramon Foster, listed as questionable with an ankle injury, was among the Steelers inactives. Cody Wallace started in his place. … Antonio Brown tied an NFL record with 19 consecutive games with at least five receptions and 50 yards. Laveraneus Coles did it for the Jets from 2002 to 2003. He finished with 10 receptions for 90 yards. … Roethlisberger threw for 196 yards. … Carolina had just 42 yards rushing on 10 carries.