Recap: Pittsburgh vs. Houston
Sports Network | September 07, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Willie Parker ran for 138 yards and a career-high three touchdowns and Ben Roethlisberger threw for 137 yards and two scores as the Pittsburgh Steelers demolished the Houston Texans, 38-17, in the regular-season opener for both teams at Heinz Field. Roethlisberger finished 13-of-14, before being replaced by veteran backup Byron Leftwich early in the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger was shaken up late in the second quarter after taking a hit from a Texans' defender. Leftwich didn't complete a pass in four attempts. Hines Ward caught six passes for 76 yards with two touchdowns for Pittsburgh (1-0). It was the Steelers' sixth straight victory in openers and is the longest current streak in the NFL. Pittsburgh has won 23 of its 39 games on Kickoff Weekend since 1970. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries and Santonio Holmes chipped in with two catches for 19 yards in the win. Matt Schaub completed 25-of-33 passing for 202 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for the Texans (0-1). He also rushed for a four-yard score. Andre Johnson hauled in 10 passes for 112 yards in defeat. Game Notes Game Notes
