Lolley's Kickoff: Belated battle of unbeatens

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It's taken a few weeks longer than expected thanks to a COVID-19 outbreak with the Titans, but the Steelers will finally play Tennessee in a battle of unbeatens.

And as things have worked out, both teams made it here in impressive fashion. Last week for the Steelers, it was a 38-7 win over the Browns. Two weeks ago for the Titans, it was a 42-16 win over the Bills.

The rest of the schedule for both teams? Well, it's been victories over the dregs of the league, including two teams beaten by both, the Texans and Broncos.

So, while the Steelers (5-0) and Titans (5-0) will be just the fifth pair of teams to square off in a battle of unbeaten teams this late in a season, is either team good?

To listen to each describe the other, the answer is a resounding yes.

"(Mike Tomlin) has been doing a great job since he's been with the (Steelers) organization, the teams he's had," said Titans running back Derrick Henry. "I feel like they are always in the playoffs, and he always has them well prepared. They always have a great defense, explosive guys on offense. I feel like they are always an overall great team, and I feel credit should got to him. They have a great coaching staff. We know what kind of team we are facing -- undefeated and playing good football on both sides. We are focused on preparing the right way and getting ready for Sunday. We know what kind of team we are facing -- a good team. It's going to be a good matchup."

The Steelers feel the same about the Titans.

"This is a group that has an appetite for the big moment," Tomlin said of the Titans. "They’re capable of delivering it in the big moment. They complement their offense extremely well and that way their offense does an awesome job of taking care of the ball. That in a nutshell is kind of our challenge this week. We respect it. We are playing them in their home venue. We’re humbled and excited to be in these five-star matchups."

Tomlin uses the term "five-star matchup" all the time, but this week it truly is a one of those situations. Of those previous five times unbeaten teams have met in Week 7 or later, the winner has advanced to the Super Bowl in each of the first four meetings:

So, if history is to be trusted, the winner of this game will have put itself in a good place, although there will still be plenty of work to be done.

Up first, however, is what promises to be a tough, physical football game.

"They are very physical," Stephon Tuitt said. "Old-school football. It's the type of game when you have to buckle your chin strap and come prepared and bring physicality to them."

The team that wins the physical battle in the trenches -- on both sides of the ball -- will probably win.

In Henry, the Titans have perhaps the NFL's most physical runner. The Steelers counter with perhaps the NFL's most physical defense.

"They have always been physical," Henry said of the Steelers. "They always have a physical defense. I feel like they always have a good defense, and always have a stout front with physical linebackers, guys that are physical in the back end as well, fast. They have just an all-around good defense, and they've been playing incredible football on that side of the ball. It's going to be a big challenge for us."

It's a challenge that was supposed to take place three weeks ago, but the Titans had some 23 cases of COVID-19 in their organization, including 11 positive tests among players. All of the players are now back with the team and ready to play in this game.

The Steelers were unhappy with the situation, having their bye week moved from what was supposed to be next weekend to Oct. 4. But they play the games as they come, starting this week with the Titans.

Both teams will move forward without a key contributor. For the Steelers, Devin Bush tore his ACL last week against the Browns. The Titans saw left tackle Taylor Lewan fall to the same injury last week against the Texans. That pushes third-year pro Robert Spillane into the starting lineup for the first time in his career for the Steelers, and for the Titans, it will be journeyman Ty Sambrailo.

"It’s an unfortunate circumstance, but as we always say, injuries are as much a part of the game as blocking and tackling," Tomlin said. "One man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity."

That's what this game presents for both teams, as well, an opportunity to prove they belong in the conversation as one of the NFL's top teams.

"Just playing a good opponent, I would say records don't mean anything in this league," said Titans coach Mike Vrabel. "I know that we're not getting caught up in that. Every week is a huge challenge. This one, unbelievably so."

THE ESSENTIALS

• Who: Steelers (5-0) vs. Titans (5-0)
• When: 1:02 p.m. Eastern
• Where: Nissan Stadium
• Forecast: 82°, 20% chance rain
• TV: KDKA, CBS (national)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Streaming: Steelers Nation Radio
• Satellite: Sirius XM 387, Internet 826
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Media notes: Steelers | Titans

THE INJURY REPORT

Steelers: CB Mike Hilton (shoulder, out), FB Derek Watt (hamstring, out)

Titans: None

THE KEY VARIABLE

While the Steelers defense has been getting all of the headlines, the Steelers offense has been sneakily efficient.

The Steelers enter Sunday's game fourth in the NFL in scoring at 31.2 points per game despite ranking 24th in passing at 221.2 yards per game.

"We’re not putting up gaudy passing numbers because we haven’t needed to," said Ben Roethlisberger, who has thrown 11 touchdown passes against just one interception. "I’d like to think if needed to, we could do that because we have some amazing pass catchers that can do great things with the ball in their hands, but what we have been able to do right now is win football games. That’s what is most important."

Roethlisberger has used a variety of receivers to get there. In five games, the Steelers have had five different receivers lead them in receiving yards, showing a diverse passing attack. If Diontae Johnson, who is back this week after missing the game against the Browns with a back injury, isn't leading the Steelers in receptions, it's been JuJu Smith-Schuster. Or Chase Claypool. Or Eric Ebron. Or James Washington.

"They are really good route runners," Vrabel said of the Steelers receivers. "They are very well-coached. They are locked in and dialed in because Ben distributes the ball to the guy who is open. That keeps everyone alive and focused so they can produce. Just when you may forget they have a guy, James Washington shows up huge last week. Then it's (Chase) Claypool. You have to be prepared for everybody they have out there."

Including James Conner and the running game. That's been the biggest difference for the Steelers this season. While they struggled the previous two seasons -- one of which was played mostly without Roethlisberger -- to average 90 rushing yards, this season, the Steelers are averaging 136.8 yards per game.

They've done it in a variety of ways, using jet sweeps, end arounds and even the occasional run by Roethlisberger. But James Conner has been the constant.

After tweaking his ankle early in the regular season opener against the Giants, Conner has rushed for 360 yards in the past four games. He has scored a touchdown in each one of those contests.

"I think you’ve seen what he is able to do," Roethlisberger said. "I’m going to throw numbers out because to me it doesn’t matter if he runs for 100 yards or whatever he is doing, he is running efficiently, he is scoring touchdowns when we get down close to the goal line. He’s giving us first downs when we need those. I think his game right now is at an all-time high. He’s picking up blitzes. He’s catching the ball out of the backfield when we need him to, and he’s getting the tough yards when we need that as well."

Conner will face a Tennessee defense that is allowing 5.1 yards per carry while allowing 137 yards rushing per game. It's helped make life easy on opposing quarterbacks, as well. Opposing teams have converted 57.8 percent of their third down plays against Tennessee, the highest rate in the league.

The Steelers don't necessarily want to get into a shootout. They'd rather play things the way they have in the first five games in which they've had a 52.2-48.8 split on pass-to-run ratio.

But the Steelers are certain from what they've seen of both Roethlisberger and their passing game to know that if push comes to shove, they're capable of winning that way, as well.

And the Titans, who are allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for 285 yards per week, might be vulnerable there, as well.

"I think as he’s gotten older that experience that he has — that pre-snap vision of how he knows he can get the ball out of his hand and make that play come alive and be successful is there," Randy Fichtner said of his 38-year-old quarterback. "There’s going to be moments in every game where he is going to want to keep a play alive. Like I’ve said in the past, maybe take off the Superman cape and go to work."

THE HISTORY LESSON

Today's history lesson will take us back to 1978, the last time the Steelers were unbeaten this late into a season, only this time around, they took a 7-0 record into a home game at Three Rivers Stadium against the Oilers -- now the Titans.

The game took place on Monday night, Oct. 23 against Earl Campbell, Bum Phillips and company, and the Steelers would lose their unbeaten record. It was Houston's first time on Monday Night Football and gave the nation a chance to see Campbell for the first time.

Campbell, the talented rookie out of Texas, was taking the NFL by storm with his hard-charging running style. The 1977 Heisman Trophy winner rushed for more than 100 yards in four of his first six NFL games, helping the Oilers to a 4-3 record to that point -- he missed a Week 5 game.

The Steelers, meanwhile, were taking advantage of the new rules that opened up passing in the NFL -- the Mel Blount rule was adopted, disallowing defensive backs to beat receivers up all the way down the field -- and rode their offense, not the famed defense, to a 7-0 start.

But in this game, it was the offense that let them down.

The defense limited Campbell to 89 yards on 21 carries -- no small feat in those days -- though he did score three touchdowns, including a pair of scores in the second half, the last of which gave the Oilers a 24-10 lead in the fourth quarter. But Rob Carpenter added 42 yards on 12 carries as the Oilers controlled the clock by rushing for 169 yards to keep the potent Steelers offense sidelined.

Houston's defense did an even better job on the Steelers' rushing attack, limiting Franco Harris to 56 yards on 16 carries, while Rocky Bleier 31 yards on 12 attempts.

And Terry Bradshaw, while throwing for 226 yards and two scores -- both of which that went to Lynn Swann -- completed just over 50 percent of his passes with an interception, going 17-for-33.

Dan Pastorini was much more efficient, completing 13 of 19 passes for 160 yards as the Oilers improved to 5-3 by handing the Steelers their first loss of the season -- one of just two the Steelers would have all season.

The Steelers did exact some revenge six weeks later, beating the Oilers, 13-3, in a rematch in Houston, then had the last laugh when they beat them again in the AFC Championship, 34-5, back at Three Rivers Stadium en route to their third Super Bowl.

THE MAIN MATCHUP

By now you've head all about Henry being an unstoppable force. He led the NFL in rushing yards a year ago and is on his way to doing so again this season. He's been amazingly consistent, going over 75 rushing yards or scoring a touchdown in 21 of his past 22 games, including the postseason.

But that doesn't mean there haven't been teams that have slowed him down. He had 84 yards against the Jaguars earlier this season, but it took him 25 carries to get there, meaning his average was just 3.4 yards per attempt. The Bills limited him to 57 yards on 19 carries three weeks ago, but the Titans still won the game, as Henry scored twice.

Denver limited him to 28 yards on 15 carries last season, and he managed 44 yards on 17 attempts in a game against the Jaguars in 2019, as well.

One thing about it, the Titans won't stop giving him the football, even when he's bottled up. The Titans' feeling is that he's a hammer who, at some point, will wear a defense out and break a long run. That's what happened last week in the Titans' overtime win against the Texans. Henry busted a 94-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter on his way to 212 yards on 22 carries. The Titans just kept pounding away with Henry until he broke the long one.

And once Henry is in the secondary, getting the 250-pound bruiser on the ground is a chore.

"Any time you have a running back who can do great things, you want to take pride in it and stop the run up front," said T.J. Watt. "Those guys in the back end are more than willing to make those tackles against those great running backs. We definitely want to do the best that we can in the front to stop him before he gets to that level.

"He's a big back. I feel like we have faced a lot of really good backs, especially in my career. We face good running backs in practice in James Conner here. I think we are confident no matter who is on the other side of the football. We feel like our defense flies around. He's a really talented running back, don't get me wrong."

Watt isn't being disrespectful of Henry. The Steelers respect him. But they also boast the NFL's No. 2 rushing defense, allowing 66.2 yards per game. They have shut down Saquon Barkley of the Giants, David Johnson of the Texans, Melvin Gordon of the Broncos and Kareem Hunt of the Browns. The Eagles' Miles Sanders gained 80 yards on 11 carries against them, but 74 of that came one run.

"Defensively, what I am looking at is they are pretty special," said Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. "They have an incredible front, do a great job of moving up front, getting penetration, being disruptive in the run and pass game. They pair that with a secondary that can play well."

Tannehill presents his own issues. But it's Henry the Steelers are focused on stopping.

What the Steelers don't want to happen is for that secondary to have to tackle Henry multiple times. They want to get him on the ground before he gets rolling. Otherwise, they could be in for a long day.

"Once he gets to the secondary, he is a big guy. It's hard for people to tackle him," Minkah Fitzpatrick said. "We don't want him in the open field."

THE TEN DATA POINTS

• Opponents have scored a touchdown on 87.5 percent of their red zone trips against the Titans, the highest percentage in the NFL.

• The Titans are averaging 3.6 red zone touchdowns this season, the most in the NFL.

• The Steelers allow 2.8 yards per carry on first downs, the best in the NFL. The Titans run the ball on first down 62.1 percent of the time, the third-most in the league.

• Roethlisberger is 23rd in yards per attempt (7.1 Y/A) and 28th in depth of target (7.2 yards).

• Despite getting more than four targets in a game just once this season, Claypool has games with 110, 88 and 74 receiving yards this season. He is tied for second in the NFL with six touchdowns despite not having had a single pass thrown to him in the end zone this season.

• Smith-Schuster has been targeted more than 15 yards downfield just twice this season.

• Opponents beaten by the Titans this season have a .310 winning percentage. Teams beaten by the Steelers have a .328 winning percentage.

• The Steelers have not won their first two road games of the season since beating the Buccaneers and Titans in 2010. The Steelers won both of those games without Roethlisberger, who was serving a four-game suspension.

• Conner's 4.5 yards per carry average is the highest in Steelers' history for a running back. Only Kordell Stewart (5.2) and Terry Bradshaw (5.1) have a higher career average.

• Claypool's four touchdown catches is 10th on the Steelers' all-time list for rookie receivers. The record is nine set by Louis Lipps in 1984.

THE FANTASY CORNER

I went down in flames with the Vikings against the Falcons last week as they laid a collective egg. Kirk Cousins did have 29.72 points, but Alexander Mattison and Adam Thielen were busts as I finished with just 105.12 points. We'll try to bounce back this week. As I did last year, I'm going to build a fantasy lineup using Draft Kings and a $50,000 salary cap.

Quarterback: Joe Burrow, Bengals ($5,500) -- Burrow posted a very solid and season-high 28.5 fantasy points in a meeting with the Browns in Week 2. He should be solid this time around, as well.

Running back: James Conner, Steelers ($6,700), Alvin Kamara, Saints ($7,900) -- I like Conner to have a lot of success against a Titans defense allowing 5.1 yards per carry. Kamara has a smash matchup against the Panthers, who allow the most fantasy points to running backs in the league.

Wide receiver: Tyler Boyd, Bengals ($5,400), Calvin Ridley, Falcons ($7,300), Chase Claypool, Steelers ($5,700) -- Boyd completes my stack with Burrow and he should have plenty of space to work against the Browns. Ridley and Claypool have great matchups.

Tight end: Logan Thomas, Washington ($3,500) -- It was difficult to try to find someone to fit into the lineup against that awful Cowboys defense. Thomas fits the bill.

Flex: DeAndre Swift, Giants (5,400) -- Swift is still in a time share with Adrian Peterson, but he catches the passes. And this game against the Falcons should be a high-scoring affair.

Defense: Washington ($2,500) -- Dallas' offensive line is a mess. And the Redskins can rush the passer.

Our football staff predicts the game:

Dale Lolley (5-0): The Steelers have the advantage when they have the ball against Tennessee's defense. And the very best the' Titans offense can hope to do is create a draw with the Steelers' defense. Special teams is a big advantage for the Steelers, as the Titans have struggled there. If Lewan was playing, I'd give the Titans a chance to win this. But he isn't. There's no way the Titans can block the Steelers' defensive front all day. Dupree will own Sambrailo. And that's the difference. The pass rush will get home when it matters most. Steelers, 34-27

Chris Carter (5-0): I always look for strengths vs. weaknesses. Both of these teams have a strong run game and an efficient passing offense, but the Steelers have a clear edge on defense against both the run and the pass. And I would take Roethlisberger's running of an offense over Tannehill easily. The Steelers' defensive front should set the tone early, and the offense should be able to put this game away late. Steelers, 27-23

Ramon Foster (5-0): People here in Tennessee are still side-eyeing the Titans. This is still new to a lot of people, what they've done. The Steelers are a marquee franchise. This will be one of those games where Mike Tomlin tells his players, 'Don't blink, or I'll cut your eyelids off!' You've got the No. 2 defense on one side of the ball, Ben Roethlisberger on the other. Just don't blink. Steelers, 27-24

Tom Reed (5-0): The Titans' offense is legit. As long as Tennessee keeps it close, Henry will be a load. As was the case last week against the Browns, I think getting the lead is important to the Steelers. The Titans, like the Browns, are not strong defensively and rely on creating turnovers. We saw what happened when Roethlisberger and his playmakers took care of the ball. I see the Steelers making at least one more big play. Steelers, 24-21 

Dejan Kovacevic (5-0): There'll come a day, maybe within a week, where I'll pick against the Steelers. But it won't be on a day that Roethlisberger, this increasingly dynamic collection of receivers and a healthy Conner are lining up against one of the NFL's most miserable defenses. The Titans are legit on only one side of the football, and that's not going to be nearly enough. Steelers, 35-24