PITTSBURGH -- Tennessee's revamped defense sacked Ben Roethlisberger five times, and the Titans shut down the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-9 on Sunday.
Chris Johnson ran for 70 clock-chewing yards, Jackie Battle bulled his way to a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and Rob Bironas kicked three field goals for the Titans. Tennessee's new-look defense did the rest.
Pittsburgh managed just 195 total yards and lost a series of players to injury, including Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey. Pouncey left in the first quarter with a right knee injury and likely will miss an extended amount of time.
The Titans gave up more points than any team in the NFL last season, so they brought in Gregg Williams as an assistant. His impact was immediate. Roethlisberger completed 21 of 33 passes for 191 yards and a late touchdown, but he never got comfortable when the game was in doubt.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press
Re-live Chris Johnson's performance against the Steelers with NFL Game Rewind
