Steelers show their mettle

Reed: Kicks the winning field goal

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Super Bowl champions Pittsburgh Steelers needed overtime to secure a 13-10 victory over Tennessee Titans in the opening match of the new season.

After a competitive, but scoreless first quarter, play exploded into action in the second period when Ben Roethlisberger's pass found Santonio Holmes for the first touchdown. Jeff Reed converted.

Roethlisberger went 33 of 43 for 363 yards, while Holmes made nine catches for 131 yards as the duo picked up from where they left off last season.

The joy was short-lived, though, as Kerry Collins' killer pass from 14 yards to Justin Gage and Rob Bironas' conversion saw the scores level just 35 seconds later.

Bironas put the Titans into the lead early in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard field goal.

However the Steelers took the game into overtime when Reed's field goal levelled matters with less than three minutes left.

Injury

And it was Reed who kept his nerve in overtime as he kicked the winning field goal from 33 yards four minutes and 32 seconds into the deciding period.

Pittsburgh's joy at the win will have been tempered by news of injury to star safety Troy Polamalu.

The 28-year-old, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, sprained ligaments in his left knee when attempting to pick up a blocked field goal and was forced to set out the second half and overtime.

"It's an MCL sprain, those things have a range of 3-6 (weeks recovery) but that is speculation at the moment, there will be scans," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.