NFL Picks Week 5: Matt Hasselbeck and 5 Players Who Will Dominate Steelers

Who would've thought four weeks into the season that the Tennessee Titans would jump out to a 3-1 record and the Pittsburgh Steelers would be a very shaky 2-2?

The addition of Matt Hasselbeck is arguably the best free-agent signing of the offseason, turning the Titans into one of the top passing offenses in the league.

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh the Steelers defense seems to be a little off while Ben Roethlisberger and Co. have looked terrible for stretches.

With these two former Central Division rivals facing off on Sunday, all signs point to the Titans picking up their fourth win before their Week 6 bye.

Matt Hasselbeck

After three ever-worsening seasons in Seattle, Hasselbeck came over to Tennessee and looked out of sorts on opening day at the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Since then he has worked his way to fourth in the league in passer rating (104.7), seventh in completion percentage (66.7), eighth in passing yards (1,152) and sixth in passing touchdowns with eight.

With 88 completions so far, Hasselbeck is averaging a touchdown every 11 completions. There's only a handful of other quarterbacks performing better than him right now. At age 36, Matt Hasselbeck has become a top-five quarterback.

The Steelers defense is ranked first in the league in pass defense, but much of that may have to do with their competition. The Titans offense has thrived on making huge plays every week this season. 

With Kenny Britt out due to injury, the big plays haven't stopped. Instead the team's tight ends have stepped up and made key contributions at opportune times.

The way that Hasselbeck is spreading the ball around has made it tough on opposing defenses, and I expect the same to happen in Pittsburgh.

Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson has gotten off to a rocky start this season, and the Titans' running game has suffered mightily because of it. Heading into this weekend's action, they have the league's worst rushing attack.

However, in Week 4 Chris Johnson picked up his first 100-yard game of the season against the now-24th ranked Cleveland defense.

The usually stout Pittsburgh defense hasn't fared much better. They are ranked a slightly better 22nd in the league, giving up 119.5 yards per game on the ground.

With Johnson's usual blocker, Ahmard Hall, back from his four-game suspension, the Titans stand to continue improving on a run offense that can only move up in the rankings.

The Titans' Defensive Line Rotation

The Titans defense is tied for 12th in the league in sacks with 10, while the oft-injured Steelers offensive line has allowed 14 or 3.5 a game. 

There isn't anyone in particular that is leading the way in pressuring the quarterback. The sacks are spread out across the board.

Not only is the Steelers offensive line banged up, so is their quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger left the stadium in Week 4 with a walking boot on.

He's currently listed on the injury report as probable with a sprained or bruised foot, making it that much more difficult to avoid the seemingly constant duress that he has been under this season.

Also, the Titans defense is ranked eighth in the league in stopping the run, with rookie defensive tackle Jurrell Casey leading the way. The added bulk up front has helped the team become more stout in short-yardage situations.

With the way the Steelers' running game has struggled this season, this doesn't look like the week for them to take a step forward.

Cortland Finnegan

Cortland Finnegan is back in Pro Bowl form after having an off year in 2010. New defensive coordinator Jerry Gray has Finnegan playing in the slot in nickel packages.

Having Finnegan in the slot allows him to use his aggressiveness and physicality to stuff runs, get after the quarterback and deal with the picks and rubs that offenses typically use on slot corners. 

Through four games, Finnegan has 20 total tackles, four passes defensed and one stuff for a loss of three yards. As long as Cortland and the rest of the secondary continue to play the way they have to date, this team will remain a pleasant surprise for Titans fans.

Jared Cook

In the first game without Kenny Britt in the lineup, Jared Cook became Matt Hasselbeck's favorite target. Although Cook finished with just two catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, he was targeted a team-leading six times.

Before the season started Cook came up everywhere as someone in line to have a breakout season.

It began to look bleak early, but with him getting so many targets on just 20 passing attempts, things are looking up for Cook as the team's new big-play tight end.

Michael Roos

Offensive tackle Michael Roos is once again having a brilliant season protecting the blind side of his quarterback.

He is yet to allow a sack, even after facing the Baltimore Ravens' Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs. With Steelers linebacker James Harrison set to sit out the next few weeks, Lawrence Timmons will take over the position on Sunday.

Roos vs Harrison would have been a great matchup to watch, but with normally inside linebacker Timmons shifting to the outside, Roos is sure to stay off the stat sheet.