Charlotte, NC - Willie Parker rushed for 132 yards and a
touchdown as the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their slim playoff hopes alive with
a 37-3 throttling of the Carolina Panthers at America Stadium.
'I knew it was going to be a feast or famine game,' said Parker. '(The
Panthers) have a tough defense, but the offensive line and the tight ends just
stuck in there and kept pounding.'
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 140 yards and a touchdown, while also running for
a score for the Steelers (7-7), who have won five of their last six contests.
'I think right now the focus for this team is that we've got Baltimore coming
into our place next week,' said Steelers head coach Bill Cowher. 'I don't
think we were mathematically eliminated today. If we're still in it, we're
going to keep playing.'
Chris Weinke completed 11-of-18 passes for 170 yards and an interception for
the slumping Panthers (6-8), who have dropped four in a row. Weinke has now
lost 17 straight games as a starter.
'We are just not a very good football team right now,' said Carolina head
coach John Fox. 'It showed today. I don't think it's a matter of guys giving
up, I just think that we're not very good right now.'
Steve Smith caught five passes for 56 yards, while DeShaun Foster rushed for
42 yards.
Pittsburgh eventually got going late in the first quarter with a nine-play,
63-yard drive that was capped by Roethlisberger's one-yard touchdown scamper
on the first play of the second quarter.
Faced with a 3rd-and-4 on their own 43-yard line, Roethlisberger found Hines
Ward for a nine-yard reception to move the chains. Then, with 3rd-and-12 on
the Panthers 19-yard line, Roethlisberger hit Najeh Davenport for an 18-yard
reception on a screen pass to set up the score.
The Steelers were right back at it on their next drive, marching 84 yards on
13 plays before settling for a 19-yard Jeff Reed field goal with 4:25 left in
the first half. The drive featured a 21-yard pass by Cedrick Wilson to Ward
reminiscent of the passes Antwaan Randle El completed last year as a Steeler
and a 4th-and-1 conversion on the Carolina 10-yard line.
Pittsburgh appeared to score a touchdown when Santonio Holmes took a pass from
Roethlisberger and stretched across the goal line. However, the Panthers
challenged the call and Holmes was ruled down at the two-yard line.
The Steelers then forced Carolina to go three-and-out and James Harrison
blocked Jason Baker's ensuing punt, giving Pittsburgh the ball on the Panthers
10-yard line. Three plays later, the Steelers went back to the screen pass as
Davenport scored from 13-yards out to make it 17-0 with 1:54 left to play.
The Panthers managed to crack the scoreboard before the break as John Kasay
made up for a 50-yard missed field goal in the first quarter with a 37-yard
boot with four seconds left to play.
It was more of the same in the second half as Reed connected on a 45-yard
field goal on Pittsburgh's first drive of the third quarter.
Then, after forcing Carolina to go three-and-out, Parker broke free for a 41-
yard TD run to make it 27-3. Tight end Heath Miller opened up a huge whole
along the left side of scrimmage as Parker ran untouched into the end zone.
A muffed punt by Holmes appeared to give Carolina good field position at the
Pittsburgh 28-yard line, but the Panthers were whistled for illegal procedure,
nullifying the turnover. Holmes made Carolina pay for the penalty, returning
the next punt 65 yards for the touchdown to make it 34-3 early in the fourth
quarter.
Reed's 26-yard field goal capped the scoring.
Rookie quarterback Brett Basanez took over for Weinke and took the Panthers
down the field before Ike Taylor picked off Basanez in the end zone.
'We are just not putting it together as an offensive unit,' said Smith. 'We're
not scoring points, and we're not moving the ball effectively.'
Game Notes
Roethlisberger's touchdown pass gave him 50 for his career. The three-year
veteran also passed the 3,000 yard mark for the first time in his career.
It
was a homecoming of sorts for Parker, who attended the University of North
Carolina.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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