Steelers vs. Panthers: Score and Twitter Reaction from Sunday Night Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Carolina and dominated every facet of the game Sunday night, steamrolling the Panthers 37-19.

Le'Veon Bell (21 carries, 147 yards) and LeGarrette Blount (10 carries, 118 yards) led the way, as Pittsburgh gashed the normally stout Panthers on the ground. Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger finished off a pair of drives with touchdown throws to Antonio Brown.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette and ESPN Stats & Info put the performance in historical terms:

Mike Tomlin's squad out-gained Carolina 454-349, turned two turnovers into 14 points and poured on 28 points in the second half to complete the comprehensive statement victory on national television.

Still, he told reporters that he isn't ready to let his team relax:

Cam Newton had 250 passing yards, while rookie Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen each caught touchdown passes. However, the Panthers couldn't do anything on the ground, committed several untimely penalties and lost at home in the regular season for the first time in over a year:

The first half rolled along without much excitement on the offensive side of the ball. Graham Gano got the Panthers on the board first with a field goal, but Shaun Suisham supplied the rest of the points, giving Pittsburgh a 9-3 lead heading into the locker room.

The difference was in the running game.

Bell continued his 2014 trend of looking dangerously spry, racking up 47 yards on the ground, while the Panthers could only muster up 10 yards on five carries through the first two quarters.

Pro Football Focus' Mike Clay noted Carolina's one-sided attack:

That led to roughly a two-to-one advantage in time of possession for the Steelers, which was a major reason for the early lead.

The Panthers came out looking to establish the run in the third quarter, but a slew of mental mistakes only dug Ron Rivera's squad into a bigger hole.

After a fumble by Newton set up Pittsburgh in the red zone, Carolina's defense held tough before Wes Horton jumped offside on the field-goal attempt to give Pittsburgh a second chance.

Roethlisberger took advantage, finding Brown with a beautiful throw into the back corner of the end zone (0:26 mark):

Carolina answered with a field goal, but on the ensuing Steelers possession, Bell broke through the defense for an electrifying 81-yard run. The team's official Twitter account noted it was Pittsburgh's first such run in nearly a decade:

That set up another touchdown connection between Roethlisberger and Brown, pushing Pittsburgh's lead to 23-6.

Carolina looked set for a fourth-quarter comeback when Newton found Olsen for a 37-yard score and the defense forced a three-and-out on the next possession. However, Philly Brown fumbled the punt, resulting in a comedy of errors before Robert Golden fell on the ball in the end zone for another Pittsburgh touchdown.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke summed up the theme of the night for Carolina after that play:

With the game all but settled, Blount added a rushing score and continued to slice through cavernous running lanes. Derek Anderson came in for Newton and put together an 80-yard touchdown drive capped by a tremendous grab from Benjamin, who finished with eight catches for 115 yards.

Rivera was very blunt after the game via the Carolina Twitter account:

For Pittsburgh, the victory is a little bittersweet. Bouchette reported that Jarvis Jones (wrist) and Ryan Shazier (knee) were lost to injuries. Steve Reed of The Associated Press then suggested that Ike Taylor may have suffered a broken arm.

Fortunately, meetings with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars—who are both 0-3 and lost by a combined score of 100-31 in Week 3—over the next two Sundays will make things a little easier for the Steelers. 

The Panthers, who have plenty of areas to focus on after a disappointing loss at home, won't have it nearly as easy with Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Green Bay and Seattle on the horizon in the next five weeks.