Only one AFC team will remain undefeated heading into Week 8.
The Tennessee Titans and their dynamic, high-flying offense will look to improve to 6-0 while the Pittsburgh Steelers, with their own electric offense and stingy defensive line, will also be seeking their sixth win.
These two teams have played each other 74 times before, with Pittsburgh holding a 43-31 lead in the all-time series. For Mike Vrabel, it will be his first time going up against the Steelers as a head coach. He was hired just two months after these teams’ last meeting, a 40-17 Steelers victory on Nov. 16, 2017. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin, meanwhile, has opposed Tennessee eight times in his head coaching career, owning a 5-3 record against them.
Tennessee enters coming off a 42-36 win over the Houston Texans in overtime in which Derrick Henry added 264 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. Henry became the first player in NFL history with 200-plus rushing yards in one game for at least three consecutive seasons.
Pittsburgh picked up a ferocious 38-7 win over the Cleveland Browns last week. The Steelers’ defensive line held Kareem Hunt to a season-low 40 rushing yards while the secondary restricted Baker Mayfield to just 10 completions for 119 yards, which were both season-lows for the former Oklahoma signal-caller. Odell Beckham Jr. had a season-worst two catches on three targets, accumulating 25 yards (second-worst this season). Jarvis Landry was also shut down by Pittsburgh; he caught a season-low three passes for 40 yards (second-worst this season).
This Sunday’s game was set to be played in Week 4, when both teams were just 3-0, but ended up being pushed back three weeks after over two dozen players and personnel from the Titans tested positive for COVID-19.
The Titans are outscoring opponents this season, 33-25. Ryan Tannehill has 120 completions for 1,368 yards, 13 touchdowns, and two interceptions. In Week 7, he’ll be aiming for his third straight game with at least three touchdowns and a 120 passer rating. Henry has looked incredible on the ground, gashing defenses for 588 yards and six touchdowns on 123 touches. He looks to extend an incredible streak on Sunday as he vies for his fourth consecutive game with at least two rushing touchdowns.
In the receiving game, A.J. Brown, who has touchdown catches in back-to-back games, had the early portion of his season hampered by an injury while Corey Davis missed time after testing positive for COVID-19, leaving Adam Humphries and Jonnu Smith as the team’s top receiving threats. Humphries has 21 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns this season; he’s looking for his third straight home game with a receiving touchdown.
Defensively, Malcolm Butler leads the team with two interceptions. He had eight tackles (second straight game with seven-plus) and a pass defended last week, giving him seven passes defended in his last four games. He also has three defended passes in his last two games against the Steelers. On the defensive line, Jeffery Simmons‘ two sacks are team-leading. He had six tackles and a sack last week and will be looking for his third straight game with a sack on Sunday. Linebacker Jayon Brown has also been relentless this season, including during his big Week 6 in which he had a season-high 10 tackles.
For Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger has 114 completions for 1,178 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just one interception. He’s seeking his fourth game in a row with a 100-plus rating and zero interceptions. As for the ground game, James Conner has 369 yards and four touchdowns this year. He has a rushing touchdown in each of his last four games and at least 100 yards in three of his last four. JuJu Smith-Schuster (23 catches, 194 yards, three touchdowns) leads the team in receiving, though rookie Chase Claypool has come on strong with five touchdowns in the last two games.
Steven Nelson leads Pittsburgh with two interceptions while Bud Dupree has five sacks. T.J. Watt, however, has truly stolen the show. The young linebacker has five straight games with a tackle for a loss. He has also picked up at least one sack in three of his last four games and each of his last four against the AFC South.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020
Start Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Stadium: Nissan Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Betting Odds | Sponsored by Jazz Sportsbook
Point Spread: PIT +1.5 (-110) | TEN -1.5 (-110)
Moneyline: PIT +100 | TEN -130
Over/Under: O 51 (-110) | U 51 (-110)
The Steelers should win by at least a field goal on Sunday, making Pittsburgh a safe bet here. As for the total, expect Pittsburgh’s defensive line to continue to play well against Derrick Henry. Take the under.
Prediction
As long as the Steelers can keep Derrick Henry in check, they should win this game. It will be extremely close, though, as Tennessee’s offense has been firing on all cylinders lately.
Final Score: Steelers 21, Titans 18
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
