The Steelers were looking to make a statement after losing to the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 11. Mission: Accomplished. Pittsburgh ran circles around the Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton, who barely had time to complete his passes before being surrounded by blitzing Steelers defenders.
Steelers vs. Panthers: 3 things we learned from the Steelers’ big win in Carolina
Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers blew the doors off a solid Panthers defense and a Carolina team that couldn’t get out of its own way.
Streeter Lecka
After getting off to a slow start the offense got rolling against a very good Panther defense. The defense remained stout and even the special teams got in on the scoring. Pittsburgh dominated all three phases on their way to a convincing road win.
Here are three things we learned from the Steelers’ 37-19 win over Carolina:
1.) The Steelers have a ton of weapons at running back.
Steelers running backs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount ran right over the Panthers defense, a normally solid unit that was ranked second in the league in total defense in 2013. They had absolutely no answer for either running back, who both broke off long runs (Bell going for 81 yards in the longest non-touchdown run in the NFL in 20 years -- and the longest run by a Steelers player in 44 years). Both players went for more than 100 yards on the night. An established running game gave quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the space he needed to make big passes, including two touchdowns to Antonio Brown.
2.) The Panthers could have a very long season.
Besides Kelvin Benjamin being, well, Kelvin Benjamin (see below), Carolina was largely unable to create any lasting offense.
They have plenty of talent, but the Pittsburgh defense was just too much for the offensive line. Coupled with a fumble on a punt that was about as bad as it gets, two turnovers, and 105 yards of penalties, it was not the Panthers’ best day.
Newton was constantly under pressure, including a hit to his knee that left him limping slightly. He didn't play badly, exactly, going 24 for 35 with 250 yards and a touchdown, but he missed some easy throws to the edges and wasn't able to sustain drives.
3.) But the Steelers had some big losses.
Steelers players Ike Taylor and Ryan Shazier both suffered injuries, with Taylor breaking his arm. Both are established playmakers for the Pittsburgh defense, so their absences could hurt. Taylor has been an anchor at corner for more than a decade. Although he hasn’t played to his peak form in recent seasons, he’s still a solid starter. His injury looked very bad barring an unexpected outcome, he’s likely done for the year.
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