Nobody expected the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose to the horrible New York Jets on Sunday so all bets are off when the Steelers face the struggling Tennessee Titans who have lost seven of their last eight games.
Can the Steelers put their season back on track? Or will the Titans deliver another stunning upset? Read on for a complete preview of this showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Thursday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins here.
[sc:Football ]Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans Preview
When: Monday, November 17, 8:30 PM ET
Where: LP Field, Nashville
Line: Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5) at Tennessee Titans (+5.5); total: 47.0 – view all NFL lines
Betting on the Pittsburgh Steelers
Just when it seemed the Pittsburgh Steelers can do no wrong, here come the New York Jets to spoil their party. Yes, you heard that right. Those lowly Jets who have lost eight games in a row stunned the streaking Steelers 20-13 Sunday to leave the muddled AFC North even murkier.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Steelers are now half a game behind the Cleveland Browns for the AFC North lead heading into their clash with the Titans this coming Monday. If they are to avoid having back-to-back losses for the first time this season, they will need to do a much better job of protecting the football.
Turnovers played a key part in their defeat to the Jets on Sunday as the Steelers recorded a minus-4 turnover ratio. Roethlisberger, who completed 12 touchdown passes without any picks the previous two games, threw two interceptions this time around as he struggled to find an offensive rhythm against a much-maligned Jets side.
To make matters worse for the Steelers, it happened against a Jets team that is worst in the NFL in the turnover department with Rex Ryan’s men having an atrocious minus-11 mark.
Also quite concerning for the Steelers has been their failure to generate enough offense away from home. In their recent three-game home stand, the Steelers averaged 41.3 points per outing but in their last two away games, they have only managed to put up an average of just 11.5 points.
It’s no surprise then that they lost those two games by a total of 28 points. Roethlisberger will need to find a way of exploiting Tennessee’s defense that is only 22nd in the NFL in total yards allowed, giving up 368.7 YPG this season.
Even though Roethlisberger’s passing has taken center stage recently with his performances against Indianapolis and Baltimore, it’s about time the Steelers get their ground game going once again against the Titans.
The Steelers only managed to run for 36 yards in their loss to the Jets, all courtesy of Le’Veon Bell. They will need to get more touches for Bell as the Titans carry the third-worst rushing defense in the NFL this season allowing 136.6 YPG.
The Steelers are 2-3 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee’s miserable season continued on Sunday as the Titans dropped their third game in a row with a 21-7 beating at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens. The Titans had no answer for Baltimore’s running game, especially for Justin Forsett who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns to help the Ravens snap its two-game losing streak.
It’s back to the drawing board once again for the Titans after failing to take advantage of their quick start against the Ravens. Rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger was spectacular on the team’s opening two drives, going 8-of-11 for 98 yards and a touchdown to Leon Washington to give the Titans a 7-0 lead.
Mettenberger’s passer rating at that point was an incredible 130.1 but it all went downhill from there as Baltimore’s defense put the clamps on the 23-year-old who was making the first road start of his career. Mettenberger completed just 8-of-16 passes the rest of the way for a meager 81 yards and an interception as he saw his passer rating plummet to 38.8.
What Mettenberger needs to address heading into their clash with the Steelers is his decision-making. He was sacked a total of five times by Baltimore’s pass-rushers resulting in a loss of 36 yards as he was unwilling to settle for a checkdown or a throwaway against the Ravens’ imposing defense.
That’s part of the learning curve, though, for Mettenberger who has only two starts under his belt. He will be put under the microscope once again when he locks horns with one of the elite quarterbacks in the game today in Ben Roethlisberger this coming Monday.
Mettenberger will go to work against Pittburgh probably minus one main target in tight end Delanie Walker, who suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the game against Baltimore. That’s a major blow for Tennessee’s offense which is already second-worst in the NFL in scoring averaging just 16 points per game this season.
Prior to the game against Baltimore, Walker was tied for the team lead in catches with 35 to his name. Mettenberger will need to find other weapons to unlock Pittsburgh’s defense that is 20th in the NFL in total yards allowed with a 347.0 YPG clip.
One of those weapons may be Bishop Sankey. The first running back taken in this year’s draft led the Titans’ ground attack against Baltimore rushing for 58 yards on 17 carries. With Walker probably out, expect Sankey to be given more touches especially with Pittsburgh having the 12th-worst rushing defense in the league this season allowing an average of 107.5 YPG.
The Titans are 0-3-1 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Steelers (-5.5) cover the spread and beat the Titans by double digits.
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