Streaking Steelers, Titans eye statements tonight
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have a commanding lead in the AFC North and are in a two-way race with New England for home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs as Thanksgiving looms.
It is exactly where they expected to be all along. It just doesn’t necessarily feel like it.
While the Steelers (7-2) are hardly apologizing for their best start in head coach Mike Tomlin’s decade-long tenure, they’d love a little bit of style to go with all that substance. Narrow escapes such as their 20-17 victory over struggling Indianapolis this past Sunday are starting to get a little old.
The $92 million offense that includes the highest-paid and most productive wide receiver (Antonio Brown) and running back (Le’Veon Bell) in the NFL has averaged just 20 points per game this season. The Steelers are one of just five teams that haven’t reached the 30-point plateau.
“We’re still saying we have to get better,” Brown said, “but eventually we’ve got to do it.”
Like Pittsburgh, surprising Tennessee (6-3) is looking to send a message that its progress in coach Mike Mularkey’s second full season isn’t a mirage. The Titans are tied with Jacksonville atop the AFC South standings and have won four straight entering tonight’s game at Pittsburgh, though the streak has come against teams that are a combined 10-27.
“I think it’s going to be a big measuring stick for our team to see where we’re at,” Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker said.
Despite the short week, the two sides are hardly strangers. Mularkey and five other members of the Tennessee staff have either played or coached for Pittsburgh — or in the case of Mularkey, did both. Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau served as the architect for a Steelers defense that reached the Super Bowl three times in
six seasons (2005-10).
Though LeBeau was pushed out in favor of protégé Keith Butler in January 2015, the lessons LeBeau imparted still resonate for a young but rapidly maturing defense that is second in the league.
“A lot of our characteristics are (still) Dick LeBeau-driven,” Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward said. “Even our goals and stuff, they’re still Coach LeBeau’s and the way he wanted it because our coaches were under him. I think his imprint, his lasting imprint is a lot of what our defense wants to reach.”
LeBeau is in the process of working his magic again in Tennessee as the Titans pursue their first playoff berth since 2008.
“There are so many stories I have that I’ll cherish, but this isn’t a funeral or anything,” Heyward said. “Coach LeBeau is going to be out there trying to kick our (butt), so we’ve got to be ready.”
Pittsburgh’s good fortune when it came to injuries this season ended when cornerback Joe Haden fractured his left leg in the first quarter against Indianapolis. While the Steelers are optimistic Haden can return at some point, they’ll turn to veteran Coty Sensabaugh to fill in a secondary that’s second in the NFL in fewest passing yards allowed.
Sensabaugh, who played for the Titans from 2012 to 2015, was in line to be the starter coming out of training camp until Haden was unexpectedly released by the Browns after seven seasons in Cleveland and landed in Pittsburgh.
“I feel like I was ready then, but that wasn’t God’s plan,” Sensabaugh said. “I’m happy we got Joe. He’s helped this team a lot. Just go in there and do what I’ve got do, and hopefully we get this win.”
Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota will play his fourth primetime game since entering the league in 2015, and playing under the lights seems to agree with him. He has a 105.4 passer rating with three touchdowns and only one interception, the fifth-highest in the NFL for quarterbacks with a minimum of three prime-time starts.
Mariota trails only Ben Roethlisberger, who has a league-best 121.7, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan (109.3), New England’s Tom Brady (106.6) and New Orleans’ Drew Brees (105.5).
NBC plans to use “SkyCam” as its primary camera angle for the first time. The angle channels the popular “Madden” video game franchise, offering a bird’s-eye view from above and behind the quarterback as a play develops. Networks have typically saved the “SkyCam” angle for replays.
There will be pop-up graphics at the completion of each play to give viewers specifics on the play, such as yards gained, though NBC will revert to the more traditional sideline angle when the situation dictates.
“Thursday night has kind of always been the NFL’s laboratory for innovation, experimentation, whatever you want to call it,” producer Fred Gaudelli said. “We just felt like this is going to be a worthy test.”