The Pittsburgh Steelers have a great chance to earn a crucial AFC victory, and get back some momentum at home as they host the Tennessee Titans for a primetime Thursday Night Football showdown.
Gameday: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Tennessee Titans, 8;15 p.m.
KEY TO VICTORY: Get Will Levis Uncomfortable
The Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback looked like a world-beater in his first start, if you just look at the stat line. Will Levis was 19 of 29 for 238 yards and four touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons. If you watched the tape, though, you saw that DeAndre Hopkins did a lot of the heavy lifting and Derrick Henry’s 100 yards on the ground did a lot to make sure that Levis was in good down and distance situations.
The Steelers have a much better defense than the Falcons, and if they can get pressure on a four-man rush, they can really make things difficult on the rookie. The Titans offensive line is a quality run blocking unit, but right tackle Nicholas Petit-Friere will have his hands full with T.J. Watt, and if Cam Heyward comes back close to fully healthy, he could eat up rookie left guard Peter Skoronski on the inside.
Stop the run, get Levis into passing situations, then mix blitzing and coverage to confuse the rookie and create turnovers. That’s the Steelers game plan.
OVERLOOKED MATCHUP: Treylon Burks vs Patrick Peterson?
The Steelers have said that Joey Porter Jr. will start at outside cornerback for the second straight week, and that means he will likely draw No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, as he did with Calvin Ridley last week. Hopkins will move around the formation, and the Steelers will likely leave Porter on one side most of the time, so it won’t be a 1 on 1 matchup all game, but that’s a matchup the Steelers should feel comfortable with.
On the other hand, Patrick Peterson has struggled, especially in man coverage, to deal with speedy receivers, and second-year Arkansas product Treylon Burks is exactly that. He can really stress a defense by threatening to take the top off it on almost every play, even if the Titans don’t actually throw him the ball that often.
That could make Peterson give more of a cushion than usual, which could introduce other problems, especially in man coverage. If the Steelers are forced to go zone, that could create other openings. It’ll be a matchup to watch.
BOLD PREDICTION: Elandon Roberts Knocks One Loose
Much like Mariah Carey getting ready for Christmas music season, Elandon Roberts has been on ice the last few weeks as the Steelers have faced some pass-first teams and spread offenses. No more, with the power running Titans, and that should mean a healthy dose of Elandon Roberts at inside linebacker. Roberts is one of the hardest hitters on an overall very tough Steelers defense, and I’ll say he forces a fumble in this game.
PICK IT
This one might not be pretty, but the Steelers should be able to take care of business on a short week at home.
Steelers 23, Titans 17
Last week: Jaguars 20-17 (W)
Season: 4-3
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Steelers +3 (-105)
Over 36.5 (-112)
George Pickens receptions over 4.5 (+130)
Last week: 3-0 (W Jaguars -2.5, Under 41, Warren over 2.5 receptions)
Season: 13-8
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