The NFL’s Week 11 kicks off with a collision of AFC division leaders as the Tennessee Titans (6-3) take on the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2) at Heinz Field.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota and the rest of the young Titans have a lot riding on this game as they travel on a short week and face the huge challenge of playing Pittsburgh on their own turf.
If the Titans want to win their division this is a huge game to prove they are mentally and physically prepared to do it. A victory here would be huge to keep pace with the 6-3 Jacksonville Jaguars who are facing a much easier challenge against the Arizona Cardinals on the road.
The good news for the Titans is that this season the Steelers offense has been nowhere as explosive as expected despite having the immensely talented Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown healthy and enjoying the emergence of Juju Smith-Shuster as a reliable wide receiver.
In fact, the Steelers are one of just six teams in the league that has failed to score at least 30 points in a game this season. Pittsburgh has actually struggled to defeat opponents that at least on paper seemed like easier matchups. The latest example being the Steelers 20-17 win last week against the 3-7 Indianapolis Colts, in which they needed a game-winning field goal as time expired.
The bad news for Tennessee is that the Steelers defense is as stingy as ever as they are ranked number two in the league and are prepared to put a lot of pressure on the running game of the Titans. The duo of De Marco Murray and Derrick Herny could be in for a long night if the Titans offensive line doesn’t show up ready to face the defensive front of the Steelers and simply fails to open holes or running lanes.
That’s why Tennessee has to feel good about Mariota’s performances the last few weeks as he’s been able to make big plays to some of his young receivers like Corey Davis and at the same time he’s avoided turning the ball over by playing mistake-free football, which can be lethal against a defense as dangerous as the one the Steelers have. If Mariota continues playing like that he will keep the Steelers offense in check and open some room for Henry and Murray in the running game.
Defensively the Titans will have to try to keep Ben Roethlisberger in the pocket and get to him to knock him down or block some passes that will stop him from comfortably delivering the ball to his wide receivers. If they do that perhaps they can prevent the Steelers from scoring 30 points once again this season and win an important battle on the road.
If you plan to bet on this game the Steelers are seven-point favorites and the total is 44.5. The moneyline for Pittsburgh is -310, while for the Titans is +255
