The Steelers watched opponents panic when preparing for Robert Griffin III and vowed not to suffer the same identity crisis.
“We didn’t want to get too creative,” defensive end Brett Keisel said. “We just wanted to play the way we know how.”
Besides, why mess with a good thing?
Wearing throwback jerseys that made them resemble hulking bumblebees, the host Steelers swarmed Washington’s precocious star in a 27-12 victory yesterday.
Griffin completed just 16 of 34 passes for 177 yards and a score while managing 8 yards rushing, finding little room to showcase his brilliance against a unit used to having its way when a youngster is calling plays in the other huddle.
The Steelers (4-3) improved to 14-1 against rookie quarterbacks since 2004, doing to Griffin what they’ve done to the likes of Eli Manning and Joe Flacco.
“It is very frustrating,” Griffin said. “You want to go out, be successful, execute plays and have everything work for you and then when you have a day like today when you have almost nothing work for you.”
Griffin got little help from his receivers. The Redskins (3-5) dropped 10 passes and the Steelers kept the NFL’s top rushing team under wraps despite playing without injured safety Troy Polamalu.
Patriots 45, Rams 7
In London, Tom Brady led touchdown drives on the first five possessions and New England cruised at Wembley Stadium.
The Rams looked ready to put up a fight when Sam Bradford hit Chris Givens with a 50-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive. But Brady cut through the St. Louis defense at will to give New England a 28-7 lead by halftime, then hit Brandon Lloyd for a 9-yard score to start the third quarter.
New England surpassed 350 yards of total offense for the 17th straight game, breaking an NFL record set by the Rams in 1999-2000.
Colts 19, Titans 13 (OT)
In Nashville, Tenn., Andrew Luck threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Vick Ballard at 4:49 of overtime to propel the Colts (4-3), who have beaten Tennessee in seven of eight overall.
The Colts did it with Luck leading a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives. The top pick overall in April’s draft set up Delone Carter’s 1-yard TD run that tied it up at 13 with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter.
Raiders 26, Chiefs 16
In Kansas City, Mo., Carson Palmer threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and the Raiders pounded the struggling Chiefs for their sixth straight win on Kansas City’s home turf.
Sebastian Janikowski was perfect on four field-goal attempts, and the Raiders (3-4) nearly became the third straight team to keep the Kansas City offense out of the end zone.