Derrick Henry is on a roll. After returning from a surprise bye week three weeks ago because of a COVID-19 outbreak among the Titans, Henry has rushed for four touchdowns in Tennessee's past two games, including a 212-yard, two-touchdown effort on just 22 carries in a 42-36 overtime win over the Texans last week.
But as much as the Steelers are concerned about Henry, the NFL's rushing leader, and have been since this game was originally scheduled for three weeks ago, what Ryan Tannehill and the Titans are doing in the passing game for the Titans (5-0) is equally troubling.
Since taking over as the Titans' starting quarterback in Week 7 of last season, Tannehill has thrown for 3,966 yards, 35 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in leading Tennessee to an 12-3 record. Those are numbers that rival those of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Tannehill has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL during that period, posting a 117.3 passer rating while also rushing for five touchdowns. Containing Henry as well as slowing Tannehill will be the task of the Steelers (5-0) Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
One thing that could help that is the Titans being without left tackle Taylor Lewan, their best offensive lineman. Lewan suffered a torn ACL in the win over the Texans and Tennessee will be playing their first game without his services this week.
That could be an issue against the Steelers, who lead the NFL with 24 sacks. Pittsburgh blitzes 46.3 percent of the time -- down from earlier weeks this season, but still the most in the NFL.
And they get home quite a bit. They lead the NFL in pressure percentage at 38.9 percent and have hit opposing quarterbacks 57 times on 171 pass attempts that didn't result in sacks.
Tannehill has been one of the most difficult players in the league to sack thus far this season, being taken down just five times. But two of those came last week against the Texans after Lewan left the game.
"They're disruptive all the way around," Tannehill told reporters Wednesday. "(It's) definitely going to be a challenge for us to protect up front. We're going to have to anchor down up there and really do our jobs in order to have time to get the ball off. It's going to be a challenge for me to get the ball off, receivers to get open and obviously with the o-line and backs and tight ends protecting."
Opponents haven't figured out how to do that yet. The Steelers are the first team since the 1985 Giants to have at least three sacks and at least one interception in each of their first five games.
But Tannehill has been one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the league. In addition to sacking him just five times, opponents have pressured him on just 20.5 percent of his passes.
"That success in running, it's causing Tannehill to have success passing because they run a lot of their groups off of it, as well," said Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt. "If we can stop one aspect, we will be able to stop the other. He is having a good time. They are winning. He's making great passes. They are doing great reads.
"You can see him radiating that success because of that. It's going to be our job to go there and separate them from the flow they have had and have a great defensive performance."
Compounding issues for the Steelers is that this will be their first game without inside linebacker Devin Bush, who suffered a torn ACL in last week's 38-7 win over the Browns and is out for the remainder of the season.
While backup Robert Spillane should be fine in helping to stop the run, it's in the passing game where the loss of Bush might show up the most.
Tannehill likes to work the middle of the field with tight ends. Starter Jonnu Smith leads the team with 29 targets and has 19 catches for 234 yards and five touchdowns, although No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown missed some time. Backup Anthony Firkser has been targeted 20 times and has 17 receptions for 182 yards and a touchdown, while blocking tight end MyCole Pruitt also has caught a touchdown.
All told, seven of Tannehill's 13 touchdown passes this season have gone to tight ends. And many of those have been of the shorter variety. Tannehill has completed 11 of his 12 passes inside the 10-yard line this season, with nine touchdowns. He's 21-of-25 with 12 touchdown passes in the red zone.
Bush had allowed 14 completions in 22 pass attempts in his coverage this season for 151 yards and one touchdown. Safety Terrell Edmunds typically draws the majority of coverages against tight ends and has been good in that capacity, allowing just 13 of 21 completions this season, but the Titans run a lot of two-tight end formations. That allows them to use play-action as a weapon.
Tannehill averages 10.2 yards per passing attempt when using play-action, but just 6.6 yards per attempt when the Titans don't use a run fake. The former Dolphins' starter, who was acquired for a late-round draft pick by the Titans in 2018, has reinvented himself with the Titans.
"They run a lot of stuff that compliments their running game, play-action mainly, but some boots and stuff like that," defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. "We've got to get around him and make him feels us, because what he's done a good job of, in my opinion, he's gotten the ball out on time. When he doesn't, maybe we can put a little pressure on him. But he's done a great job of quarterbacking that team.
"It's not just Henry, it's the quarterback, too. He's going to be somebody who is tough for us to stop. With the combination of the running game and the play-action they run, we've got to try to get them behind (the sticks). That's been something that has been very difficult to do for any of the defenses that they've played. They're always ahead (of the sticks), so as a consequence, their play-action passes are a lot more effective."