Titans K Rob Bironas celebrates his game-winning 40-yard field goal in Thursday night's 26-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. (AP)

In the 2002 AFC Divisional Playoffs, the Tennessee Titans benefited from a fourth-quarter missed field goal by a Pittsburgh Steelers kicker before eliminating their former AFC Central rivals on a game-winning field goal in overtime.

Though less was on the line in Thursday night’s matchup, the Titans (2-4) prevailed 26-23 over the Steelers (2-3) in Tennessee under similar circumstances. Pittsburgh kicker Shaun Suisham missed a 54-yard attempt with 54 seconds left before Titans kicker Rob Bironas connected on a 40-yard kick with no time remaining. 

“The wind was going back and forth a little bit,” Bironas said. “I felt sorry for Shaun’s kick being short a little. Our defense held them, our offense got us the yards we needed, and I just put points on the board.”

When the game turned: The Steelers appeared to have the game clinched when a Matt Hasselbeck fourth-quarter pass intended for Nate Washington went directly to Steelers CB Keenan Lewis. Inexplicably, Lewis dropped the pass, providing the Titans with a second chance. Hasselbeck connected with WR Kendall Wright three plays later on a 35-yard reception and led Tennessee to two scores in the final 4:19 for the win.

Highlight moments: Both teams settled for field goals on their opening drives after a pair of drops in the end zone. Steelers WR Mike Wallace scored the game’s first touchdown on an 82-yard catch in the first quarter. Wallace beat Titans’ CB Jason McCourty on a simple go-route down the right sidelines. It was reminiscent of Wallace’s 40-yard touchdown on the same pattern against McCourty last October. The Titans took a 13-10 lead on a 1-yard run by Jamie Harper early in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by a punt block by LB Tim Shaw on the final play of the first quarter. The punt was recovered on the 1-yard line by McCourty. Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt tied the game at 23 with 4:19 left on a 5-yard touchdown catch.

Top-shelf performance: Despite leaving the game midway through the third quarter with an ankle injury, Steelers RB Isaac Redman still finished with four catches for 105 yards. It marked the first time since Terry Bradshaw’s rookie season in 1970 that a Steelers running back has cracked the century mark in receiving yards in a game. The Steelers sorely missed Redman in the final quarter and a half.

What they said about Shaw’s blocked punt:

• Shaw -- “This guy (P Drew Butler) actually got the ball off really quickly. It was a normal twist rush, they blew the protection. Typically, any punt block you see someone on their side messes up. That’s exactly what happened. Their guy went the wrong way and I just bowled right through.”

• S Robert Johnson, who ran a twist rush that enabled Shaw to rush through the middle on the block --  “Their personal protector picked the wrong person. He picked me. If he picked Tim, I would have gotten open,” Johnson said. “It was a great play. We had been running it all week. Either way, someone was going to get in and block it.”

• More from Shaw -- “Last year I blocked a punt the same way against them. It was the same kind of blown assignment.”

Numbers you should know: After converting just two of seven third-down attempts in the first half, the Steelers converted five of eight after halftime. When it mattered most, however, Ben Roethlisberger couldn’t connect on a third-down pass to TE Heath Miller with 0:54 left. A completion could have provided Suisham with several critical yards on his last-minute attempt. The Titans used LB Akeem Ayers as a spy on third downs throughout the game to prevent Roethlisberger from running. Three Titans, including Ayers, pressured Roethlisberger on the incompletion. Since Troy Polamalu entered the league in 2003, the Steelers are now 11-12 when the All-Pro safety doesn’t start. Polamalu missed the loss with a calf injury.

Injury update: RB Rashard Mendenhall left the game in the third quarter with an Achilles injury. His status for Week 7 is not yet known. Redman’s ankle injury appears less severe. Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey didn't return after leaving the game early in the first quarter with a leg injury. Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. S Ryan Clark also went out early with a hip pointer. Titans CB Tommie Campbell left the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter. Campbell spent the second half on the sidelines in a boot.

Going forward: Both teams hit the road for games against AFC opponents. The Titans travel to Buffalo to face the Bills, and the Steelers will take on AFC North rival Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football. The Steelers then have back-to-back games against NFC East opponents, with a meeting at home against the Redskins and a road game vs. the Giants.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Tennessee Titans, follow Matt Rybaltowski @CBSTitans.