Week 5: Tennessee Titans (3-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)

[SPTO]

This is my upset special Titans win in a close one.

[HealyMonster]

huhhhhh. We have been playing good, but its....the steelers......in pittsburgh. Regardless of big ben or any other storyline going on this week, I just have to go into it expecting a tight, close, game. I gotta go with the Titans, I think it will be something like 24-21, something to that effect, but I dont know what to expect. Will CJ get 100 yards? Will Big Ben be 100%, will the steelers D stifle hasslebeck? Will the Titans get to the QB more than they have been?

Any way you slice it, it should be a heck of a game, Titans Steelers always has the drama.

[jyoung]

I remember last season, when the Charlie Batch-led Steelers came into Nashville and rolled the Titans.

Pittsburgh's gonna' take this, barring a meltdown by their secondary.

[Feared]

Different Titans team though, Hasselbeck has breathed new life into that team and he's pretty much been leading them through the early part of the season with Chris Johnson being a tad rusty after a lengthy hold out, and this past week CJ started to show signs that he's coming around so that could be trouble for the Steelers. Especially without Jerome Harrison, and a really banged up Steelers Defense.

There were some rumblings on NFL Network that Tomlin was considering holding 2 padded practices this week. Something you are only allowed to do Once an entire season under the new CBA. It kind of looks like desperation in Steeler country.

[SteelersFreak]

The way I see it, if the Steelers win this one the Steelers will end up alright this season and get a wild card spot while the Titans end up mediocre. If the Steelers lose I don't see a much better season than 9-7 and the Titans probably have a good shot at a wild card spot.

Having Harrison out is big. Farrior and Foote are both showing their age badly and there's no experienced depth behind them. Keisel should be back though, he practiced today so that will help.

The Steelers did just sign Max Starks, which is a god send. He got cut for being overweight but before he was hurt last year he was the best part of our line and hopefully he can get back to that. Jonathan Scott and Doug Legursky are both going to be back as well, and like I said, they aren't a huge upgrade over Trai Essex and Ramon Foster but they are slightly better. Should still be a tough day for Ben and a tough day on the ground.

I feel bad for Mendenhall, tripwire is exactly right, he's not the right kind of back for this line. Hopefully we see a healthy dose of Redman.

[SteelersFreak]

Quote: Originally Posted by Feared

Different Titans team though, Hasselbeck has breathed new life into that team and he's pretty much been leading them through the early part of the season with Chris Johnson being a tad rusty after a lengthy hold out, and this past week CJ started to show signs that he's coming around so that could be trouble for the Steelers. Especially without Jerome Harrison, and a really banged up Steelers Defense. There were some rumblings on NFL Network that Tomlin was considering holding 2 padded practices this week. Something you are only allowed to do Once an entire season under the new CBA. It kind of looks like desperation in Steeler country.

I would support him using it. Think about it, they lose this one and they're 2-3. They've got the Jaguars next week, let's say they win that one at home, 3-3. Then the Patriots and Ravens back-to-back and if they can barely beat the Colts, they won't beat either of those, so 3-5 and then the Bengals before their bye week, and the Bengals have been surprising. So it could be 4-5 or 3-6 going into the bye.

But if they win they'll be 3-2, then 4-2 after the Jags. And even if they drop the next two they're at 5-4 or 4-5 at the worst at the break.

[SteelersFreak]

The Steelers are the best team against the pass so far this season and the 22nd best against the run. That's opposite of what normally is going on. Of course the Steelers are aided by the fact they played against the Tarvaris Jackson led West Coast Seahawks and the Kerry Collins/Curtis Painter led Colts.

[tripwire]

Quote: Originally Posted by SteelersFreak

The Steelers are the best team against the pass so far this season and the 22nd best against the run. That's opposite of what normally is going on. Of course the Steelers are aided by the fact they played against the Tarvaris Jackson led West Coast Seahawks and the Kerry Collins/Curtis Painter led Colts.

Their pass D hasn't been tested since the week 1 debacle. As is, the secondary did what they had to do against Sea, Ind, and Hou, and with no pass rush to help. With their front-7 being in a state of regression, teams are running it down their throats instead. Expect the same going forward, especially without Harrison. It also diminishes the impact that Troy P can have on a game. Coordinators are smart, they will gameplan accordingly, unlike our boy Arians.