The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Carolina Panthers 27-3 on Thursday to tighten their grip on the AFC North.
Pittsburgh dispatch Carolina as they seek to clinch AFC North
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Carolina Panthers 27-3 on Thursday to tighten their grip on the AFC North and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Although the Steelers (11-4) had already clinched a playoff spot, the win means they will top the division if the Baltimore Ravens lose to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The Steelers end their regular season against the Browns while the Ravens finish against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"It's great to be in the clubhouse for the weekend with the necessary win and we can watch others sort themselves out," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "We were far from perfect but we were good enough to win tonight.
"That's not going to be easy going to Cleveland but we'll be prepared for that. It was good to get a win and move forward."
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 22 of 32 passes for 320 yards and a touchdown while adding a one-yard score on the ground.
The result suggests a dominant performance but Pittsburgh could have scored more - their offense squandering several chances that could have proved costly against stiffer competition.
High standards
"I guess we have high standards for ourselves," said Roethlisberger. "I left a lot out there. We got the win, which is great, but I still left a couple of throws out there that I've got to improve on.
"You win, you get a bye and more time to rest. We still have a big game coming up. We have to take care of business."
In front of their home Heinz Field crowd, the Steelers went ahead on their opening possession with a 26-yard field goal for Shaun Suisham - an apparent touchdown having been overruled.
There was no doubt about their score in the second quarter though, as Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace on a 43-yard strike to put Pittsburgh 10-0 up.
A 72-yard drive before the break ended with Rashard Mendenhall diving over from the one-yard line, with Suisham kicking a 29-yard field goal.
Pittsburgh's momentum continued after the break as Roethlisberger masterminded another long drive before going over himself to put his side 27-0 up.
Although Pittsburgh's talismanic safety Troy Polamalu was absent through injury, they still limited the Panthers (2-13) to a 27-yard John Kasay field goal and just 119 yards' worth of offense.
Carolina quarterback Jimmy Clausen completed 10 of 23 passes for 72 yards.
