VS.

The 2009 NFL regular season starts this next thursday at Pittsburgh and the actual champs receive one of the best teams in the NFL, this will be a hell of a game to watch, let’s check both teams and pick a winner …

8:30 PM ET, September 10, 2009
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
FOX

Tennessee Titans have been waiting for this moment for a while, besides the obvious trouble they have had with the back up quarterback Vince Young the original QB Steve McNair feels that Young is maturing and that he will be able to play some day, just needs a little patience and he will accomplish his goal, start in a game. The Titans do not report any injuries, at least not serious ones and they all look eager to see if this season gets better than last. The Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has a fairly conservative philosophy, and his offense is at its best when the Titans can wear down defenses with the run to set up the pass. When they do get a big play, it often comes off play-action. This is not a passing game loaded with skill players; the Titans will spread the ball around to all of the targets, which includes dump-offs, checkdowns and other safe passes. The Titans play a 4-3 defensive scheme, and most of their pass rush and QB pressure comes from a one-gap penetrating defensive line that is always on the move. Although coordinator Jim Schwartz is now running the show for the Detroit Lions, new coordinator Chuck Cecil knows this defense, so the philosophy will remain the same. Tennessee wants athleticism and range from its linebackers without a lot of blitzing, and the defensive backs are physical, playing a lot of zone coverage behind the pass rush. This is a very assignment-oriented defensive unit that flaunts the desirable qualities of aggressiveness, constant movement, intelligence and discipline.

Pittsburgh Steelers are the reigning champs and they have few worries, they have are their stars healthy and ready for the beginning of the season. They will need to keep consistant with their running/pass game with QB Ben Roethlisberger and that’s where the offensive coordinator comes in handy. Bruce Arians, this is a sound and fairly conservative offense with power-oriented formations — mostly two tight ends, two wide receivers and one back. But Arians can change things up with “bunch” four-WR formations. The passing game is more prevalent now than it had been previously — and the Steelers’ ability to show a variety of personnel groupings makes this a tough offense to defend. They’ve also gone no-huddle in recent years, increasing the challenge. This defense rarely changes philosophy. It is the epitome of the 3-4 zone blitz scheme — and nobody knows it better than coordinator Dick LeBeau. It is a linebacker-oriented defense with size and physicality inside, and the element of surprise is a big part of their success. The Steelers will attack and drop from every direction, and it is almost impossible for an opposing offense to get a pre-snap read against this group. This D will mix up coverages with a lot of Cover 2 and Cover 3 looks to protect a secondary that is not a great man-coverage unit — but the pressure up front is designed to lessen the time the defensive backs need to hold their coverages.

GAME ODDS

TITANS 35
STEELERS -5

THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE TOUGHEST BATTLES IN THE AFC CONFERENCE AND BOTH TEAMS ARE MORE THAN READY TO SHOW WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF, BUT MY PICK IN THIS PARTICULAR GAME WILL BE TITANS +5 BECAUSE THE LINE IS TOO HIGH FOR A GAME OF THIS MAGNITUDE.

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