PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers got back to basics in a 38-17 win over Tennessee on Sunday and a pair of unsung reserves led the way.
Backup running backs Issac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer combined for 156 yards against the Titans. When they weren’t sprinting through Tennessee’s defense they were helping protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger by taking on whatever blitz the Titans threw at them.
Pittsburgh ran for 174 yards in all, the team’s most since racking up 206 yards in a win at Buffalo. Dwyer had a 76-yard sprint in the second quarter to set up a touchdown, the longest run from scrimmage by a Steeler in five years.
Both players know they’ll return to role players when starter Rashard Mendenhall returns from a hamstring injury but their performance was a confidence boost for a team that has struggled asserting itself on the ground this year.
