NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The weather reminded one more of western Pennsylvania than middle Tennessee. The crowd felt more like Heinz Field than LP Field.

Yet with almost all the advantages, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in danger of eating another loss to one of the NFL’s worst teams — until Le’Veon Bell took over.

The running back pounded out 204 yards on 33 carries, including a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter that started a comeback and led the Steelers to a 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.

“It was great to see him getting 8 and 9 yards per play,” right guard David DeCastro said.

Bell’s 5-yard scoring run, on which he reached the ball over the goal line’s plane, cut the Titans’ lead to 24-20. After forcing a three-and-out, Pittsburgh (7-4) took the lead with 9:01 left on a 12-yard scoring strike from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Bell helped melt the clock down the stretch, rushing for three first downs as the Steelers kept the ball for the last 6:58. He rushed for 132 yards in the second half, enabling Pittsburgh to control the ball for 39:49 on the night.

“The guys up front did a good job of getting hat on hat,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We saw opportunities to get hat on hat based on the way they were playing.”

Pittsburgh’s reliance on the running game down the stretch also came from necessity. The Steelers’ offensive line couldn’t keep Roethlisberger upright most of the night. The quarterback absorbed five sacks and had to escape a few others but still completed 21 of 32 passes for 207 yards.

Tennessee (2-8) grabbed a 24-13 lead with 3:42 left in the third quarter when rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger found tight end Chase Coffman for a 4-yard touchdown pass. At that point, it appeared the Titans would join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets on the list of losing teams to stun the Steelers.

However, the Titans gained just one first down on their last two possessions, passing up an opportunity to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Pittsburgh 48. Brett Kern punted to the Steelers’ 19, and Tennessee never saw the ball again.

“I don’t know,” wide receiver Nate Washington said when asked if the Titans should have tried a fourth-down play. “I’m not going to say if we should or we shouldn’t. That’s at the discretion of the coach. We have to find a way to win.”

A former Steeler, Washington gave Tennessee a 17-13 halftime lead with an 80-yard touchdown catch just 32 seconds before intermission. Burning cornerback William Gay with a double move, Washington was 10 yards behind Gay when he caught Mettenberger’s throw in stride.

It was the highlight of a solid game for Mettenberger, a sixth-round pick from LSU who shrugged off Gay’s 28-yard interception return score on his first pass to complete 15 of 24 attempts for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

“I was impressed with Zach coming back from after that first pick,” Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “I thought he responded well there, led two scoring drives, made some good throws in the red zone.”

Tennessee has won just once since opening the season with a 26-10 pounding of the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. With game-time temperatures at 25 degrees Monday and a crowd composed mostly of Terrible Towel-waving Pittsburgh fans, the Titans delivered perhaps their best performance since early September.

Even so, it wasn’t enough to keep Bell and the Steelers from rallying for the win.

“I’m not going to say anything about Le’Veon that I haven’t said before,” Tomlin said.

What the Steelers said:

“If we’re a playoff team, we had to find a way to win tonight.” — Wide receiver Antonio Brown.

What the Titans said:

“I’ve been saying it since Day One: The kid’s a savage.” — Rookie left tackle Taylor Lewan, on rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

What we learned about the Steelers:

1. For whatever reason, this isn’t a team that shows killer instinct against bad opponents. After losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (now 2-8) and the New York Jets (now 2-8) earlier this season, the Steelers nearly fell to a Tennessee team that entered the night 2-7. In an AFC Central where every game matters, Pittsburgh tossed two games away by not being ready to go. It almost became three games Monday night.

2. The Steelers’ offense is one of the league’s most balanced. In the span of four games, Pittsburgh has had a 500-yard passer and a 200-yard runner. RB Le’Veon Bell carried the team Monday night, gaining 204 yards on 33 carries, including 132 yards after halftime. Coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that his team sought this type of balance all year. Monday’s running success will make it even tougher for opponents to devise game plans down the stretch.

–RB Le’Veon Bell said it was his best game as a pro, and he probably was right. Bell rushed for 204 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries, carrying the offense to a come-from-behind win. Even with eight and nine guys in the box in the fourth quarter, he still produced consistent 5- to 10-yard gains.

–CB William Gay had an up-and-down night. He started with a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown, but then he got torched on a double move and gave up an 80-yard TD pass to Titans WR Nate Washington late in the first half. Gay also whiffed badly on a tackle attempt of WR Justin Hunter in the third quarter, turning a short gain into a 36-yard catch-and-run.

–TE Heath Miller was his usually reliable self, catching five passes for 71 yards as he had his way with SS Michael Griffin. Miller also delivered some solid blocks in the run game to help RB Le’Veon Bell go over 200 yards.

What we learned about the Titans:

1. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger has some guts. After tossing a pick-six to Steelers cornerback William Gay on his first pass of the game, Mettenberger didn’t shrink under the pressure. Instead, he threw for 263 yards and two scores, including a beautiful 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nate Washington with 32 seconds left in the first half. Mettenberger can make all the throws; he merely needs experience.

2. Perhaps the Titans should be more daring considering their won-loss record. Tennessee opted for a punt from the Pittsburgh 48 with just over seven minutes left, trailing by three. The Titans never got the ball back, as the Steelers ran out the final 6:58 behind running back Le’Veon Bell. When a team is 2-8, as the Titans are now, a little roll of the dice can’t hurt things. Plus, a defense that gave up touchdowns on the previous two possessions wasn’t about to stop Pittsburgh.

–CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson (back) left in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. His status for Sunday’s game in Philadelphia won’t be known until later this week. Wreh-Wilson finished with three tackles and two passes defensed.

–FS Marqueston Huff (hamstring) departed the game after making one tackle on defense and a special teams tackle in the first quarter. The rookie plays mostly on special teams, where he has been reliable. His status for the Philadelphia game isn’t known.

–ILB Avery Williamson was all over the place, finishing with seven tackles, three quarterback hurries, two sacks and a third tackle for loss. The rookie is one of the team’s bright spots.