The 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers will host the 6-3 Tennessee Titans Thursday night at Heinz Field and in a bit of a surprise, the home team opened up as 7-point favorites a few days ago, according to vegasinsider.com. The over/under point total for that contest opened up at 44.
The Steelers, who have yet to score more than 29 points in a single game this season and have won their last four games, will play a Titans team Thursday night that has also won their last four games. Two of the Titans three losses this season have come on the road, however.
The Titans offense is led by quarterback Marcus Mariota, who enters Week 11 having completed 62.1% of his 248 total pass attempts on the season for 1,783 yards with seven touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Mariota has only been sacked 12 times in total this season. He enters Week 11 with a sore ankle and shoulder but is expected to play Thursday night against the Steelers.
The Titans top pass catcher this session, tight end Delanie Walker, also enters Week 11 less than 100 percent thanks to a wrist injury he suffered this past Sunday in his team’s home win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Walker enters Week 11 with 43 receptions on the season for 458 yards but has yet to find the end zone.
The Titans will also bring a two-headed rushing attack with them to Pittsburgh as running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry have split carries this season on their way to combining for 842 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Murray has also chipped in 23 receptions for 155 yards and another touchdown.
Defensively for the Titans, linebacker Wesley Woodyard currently leads the unit in total tackles (78). Outside linebacker Derrick Morgan leads the Titans in sacks (5) entering Week 11 while safety Kevin Byard leads Tennessee in interceptions (6) and total passes defensed (12). The Titans have also registered 14 total takeaways in their first 9 games of the season.
The Titans special team units are highlighted by rookie cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who is the team’s top kickoff and punt returner. Defensive backs LeShaun Sims and Brynden Trawick are the Titans top punt and kickoff coverage players entering Week 11.
The Steelers have won four of their last six games against the Titans with their last win against them coming in 2014 at LP Field in Nashville. The Titans last beat the Steelers at Heinz Field in 2013. The Steelers also own the NFL’s second-best record (22-7 (.759)) in regular-season home prime-time games since 2001, when Heinz Field opened.
The Steelers will wear their all-black Color Rush jerseys Thursday night against the Titans. Last season they beat the Baltimore Ravens while wearing those uniforms for the first time.
We’ll have full scouting reports of the Titans offense and defense posted for you very soon so be on the lookout for those.
