Stifling defense and power run game pushes Steelers past Panthers
The Pittsburgh Steelers went with some old-school power football on Sunday and it worked. Pittsburgh held off a late rally by the Carolina Panthers and improve their record to 6-8 with a 24-16 win.
On offense, the Steelers utilized a methodical game plan that emphasized running the ball with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren paired with a smothering defense that didn't let the Panthers get the ground game going.
Harris led the way with 86 rushing yards on 24 carries. Of the Steelers' 24 points, 21 came on three rushing scores. Filling in for an injured Kenny Pickett, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky only threw for 179 yards, but more importantly, no interceptions.
Defensively, the Steelers looked as good as they have all season. They stuffed the Panthers' normally efficient run game, forcing them to throw the ball. Pittsburgh sacked Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold four times and held Carolina to a measly 21 yards rushing.
The Steelers now turn their attention to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Eve at home.
Paste BN Sports+ producer Victoria Hernandez contributed to this story.