The Pittsburgh Steelers may have picked the
right place to start winning on the road when they visit the punchless
Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.
The Steelers (2-2) have two home wins and
two road losses, and with running back Rashard Mendenhall back in the lineup to
complement Ben Roethlisberger, they hope to pound away at a defense that has
allowed more points than any other team in the league.
''If we are going to be a competitive type
of team, the type of team we aspire to be, you have to go into hostile
environments and do the job,'' Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. ''We haven't
done that. Thursday night in Nashville,
we anticipate it to be hostile. We anticipate a certain level of urgency coming
from these guys.''
Urgency may be putting it mildly. The
Titans (1-4) come into the game off a 30-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a
game in which quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was ineffective replacing the injured
Jake Locker and Chris Johnson was held in check with 24 yards on 15 rushes.
Even with safety Troy Polamalu missing his
third game with a strained right calf and linebacker LaMarr Woodley possibly
out with a strained right hamstring, the Steelers are looking to begin a
winning streak.
''We've just got to play good football,''
Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor said. ''We're 0-2 on the road, that's what
the resume says about our 2012 season.''
Ryan Mundy is expected to replace Polamalu
again, though Will Allen might get more playing time. Linebacker James Harrison
returned last week from a left knee injury. And through the injuries, the
Steelers are still fifth in the NFL, allowing 280 yards a game.
The Titans, meanwhile, are 30th in rushing
at 65.4 yards a game, and Johnson added to his struggles by losing a fumble in
last week's loss. The former 2,000-yard rusher is averaging all of 2.9 yards
per carry with 210 yards and no touchdowns.
Hasselbeck is starting his second straight
game with Locker sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder. The good news is
receiver Kenny Britt is healthy, and has practiced the past couple days. He is
returning from a torn right knee ligament last season followed by a sprained
left ankle last month.
The Titans are ready to get back on the
field early after last week's loss.
''Having no time to really harp on all the
stuff the last couple weeks, it's good,'' Titans left tackle Michael Roos said.
''It's going to be a physical fight. Everyone here's played against them before
in the offensive line. You know what's coming. Just get ready for it.''
The Steelers have dominated this series
between the former AFC Central rivals, winning three straight and six of their
last nine with Tennessee.
Having Mendenhall back after a knee injury
in January should help. He debuted against Philadelphia and averaged 5.8 yards a carry.
Roethlisberger has thrown for 1,111 yards
with eight touchdowns and only one interception, and he has been fine on the
road, too, with six TD passes and his only interception. Roethlisberger is a
big reason the Steelers convert an NFL-best 53.2 percent of their third downs,
and now he gets to face a defense giving up an NFL-worst 36.2 points per game.
''I don't think that their defense is an
indication of their record,'' Roethlisberger said. ''I think they're a lot
better than that. We have to prepare accordingly, because I think they are a
good defense.''
The Titans have gotten little help from the
offense. Tennessee trailed 14-7 at halftime
before losing 38-14 in Houston, and 13-0 at halftime in Minnesota.
''It all comes down to one simple thing,''
Johnson said. ''We're not making plays. We're not staying on the field, not
sustaining drives. And at the end of the day, no matter how good our defense
does ... they can't keep going out there and making plays when we keep leaving
them on the field like that. We have to do our job as an offense.''
The Steelers routed Tennessee
38-17 last season in Pittsburgh and forced seven
turnovers in their last trip to Nashville
in a win in 2010.
Titans coach Mike Munchak said he knows
from experience the Steelers likely will have 30,000 fans in the stands.
Needing a win playing Pittsburgh
is never easy.
''It's been a couple of weeks, and it's
been two long weeks,'' Munchak said. ''Hopefully this week will change that.''
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