This Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans in a matchup that will be a large step for both teams in securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Anyone who has followed the NFL this year can tell you this game will be a defensive slugfest. In fact, it won't be surprising if there isn't an offensive touchdown scored in the game.
The Titans defense has been able to dominate this season by holding opponents to only 187.6 YPG through the air and 93.4 YPG on the ground. Both of these stats are good enough to rank in the top ten in the league. Most of the publicity this year has gone to Defensive MVP candidate Albert Haynesworth. The monster in the middle of the defensive line has been almost immovable and at times has taken over games.
However, it’s easy to overlook their complete shutdown corner, Cortland Finnegan. He’s one of the league’s best and can eliminate the top receiver of almost any team. With five interceptions on the season, he trails only Troy Polamalu for the league lead. The good news for the Steelers is that Tennessee will be without Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch this week.
The one offensive difference maker for the Steelers this year has been Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers fifth-year quarterback has made his living off of coming through in the clutch and making the unorthodox play look routine. The offensive line had taken some heat for not creating a steady rushing game and failing to keep Roethlisberger upright, but the blame doesn’t fall squarely on the shoulders of the big men.
Ben has a habit of holding the ball for an eternity, trying to extend each play and make something out of nothing. He does seem to have a knack for making these plays this year, just like in 2005 when he led the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory.
Throughout this season, Ben has battled injuries that have limited his passing accuracy and strength. At times, it seemed as though the play calling was affected by his limitations and probably cost the team the game against the Colts. There was not a pass attempt over 10 yards in the entire second half of the game and the Colts crept up their coverage to force key interceptions. However, when healthy, Ben looks to have that little bit of moxie that helps him make the big play when needed.
3 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment
Bryan Hollister 6 months ago
Wow, hard to tell which way you are leaning until the very end, and even then you have turn turn your head just right to tell.
Yes, the Titans have a good defense, but remember the Steelers lead the league in overall stats: 163.3 ypg in the air (1st to the Titans 5th) and 75.8 ypg on the ground (2nd to the Titans 9th). And they have allowed the fewest points per game with 192 total points: 5 rushing, 11 passing, and 23 field goals. Tennessee, on the other hand, has given up 12 rushing touchdowns, 9 through the air, and balance the rest out with 19 kicks. And those 12 rushing touchdowns came with Haynesworth in the lineup most of the time.
I'm not going to knock Kerry Collins, because he has done a fabulous job with the titans this year. But I don't think he's going to be as successful against the Steelers secondary as you might think. And with Haynesworth and KVB out, the Steelers aren't going to have to deal with Finnegan and Hope because Parker and Moore will (should) see most of the work.
I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think this game will come down to a last minute score; one way or another, this one is over well before the final whistle. If the Steelers continue to form, they will be up by ten at the halfway mark of the fourth, and they will hold that. If they lay an egg, Tennessee wins by 14.
Edit Comment Cancel
Rob Smeltzer 6 months ago
Hi Bryan,
I hope you're right on this one. I'm a diehard Steelers fan and would love a little breathing room going into the 4th quarter in this one.
When I look at everything logically, the Steelers should have an advantage on both sides of the ball. But when I use the last few games as my barometer, I just haven't seen the Steelers offense get into rhythm. I haven't been convinced that the running game can get going against anyone consistently. While Moore and Parker have been solid, I wouldn't trust a game to be put on their backs.
The receivers have made the plays for Ben when needed, but I can't say I have a ton of confidence in their ability to create space consistently. There's a reason Ben needs to buy 8 or 9 seconds in the pocket before he finds a target. Look for a deep strike early to Nate Washington to loosen up the defense on the underneath routes.
I haven't seen a ton of Tennessee this year, but I expect them to put up a game similar to Baltimore just with a more potent rushing attack. If we weren't putting the recent injuries into the mix, I'd probably say the game was a toss up, but with the losses of Haynesworth and KVB, I think the Steelers will have the edge on the road.
The Steelers defense will again be the difference maker and should keep Tennessee to under 14 points. The question is, Can the Steelers put up more than 14 themselves?
Edit Comment Cancel
Rob Williamson 6 months ago
Here is the knock on the Titans: If they allow the QB time they have holes in the secondary. The backups on the Tennessee d-line better not cause much of a drop off up front or they could get lit up down field.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.