The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans open ninth week National Football League action tonight at Acrisure Stadium. Both teams have had quarterback injuries that have compromised their playoff hopes. Tonight, Will Levis, who played brilliantly last week in a win over the Atlanta Falcons, will battle Kenny Pickett of the Steelers.
Pickett, that is, as long as he lasts. Twice this season he has been knocked out of action with injuries, including last week’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. When Pickett is sidelined, the Steelers turn to Mitch Trubisky … and that has never proven a successful alternative. Trubisky’s only claim to fame was him being picked in the 2017 draft before the Kansas City Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes.
One of the many regrets the Chicago Bears have had in their seemingly ongoing quest to find a franchise quarterback.
So, betting on the Steelers tonight could be a good proposition … if Pickett is healthy for all 60 minutes of the encounter. He is still nursing sore ribs that knocked him out of last week’s loss.
Despite a solid college career at the University of Kentucky, Will Levis dropped to the second round in this year’s NFL draft. The most likely reason is his age, old for a rookie, at 24. But the first-year signal caller had a big day in his debut last week while throwing four touchdowns without suffering an interception while compiling a quarterback rating of 130.5.
His favorite target, DeAndre Hopkins, appears recharged in the Titans attack and Tennessee still has the talented running skills of Derrick Henry. Even with the Titans led by a rookie quarterback and the Steelers relying on their second-year signal caller, Tennessee clearly has the more productive offense.
But, that offense runs smack into one of the league’s best defenses.
The Steelers have won four games in seven starts this year that includes a home win over the talented Baltimore Ravens. They appear to sometimes be doing it with mirrors and a bit of luck, but their winning record is more reliant on their excellent coach, Mike Tomlin.
Tonight, I’ll be very interested to see if Levis follows up his first game performance with another big game over a top rated defense on the road. If he does, the Titans may have just found the key to what they have been itching to do for two seasons … find a successor to Ryan Tannehill.
For Levis to notch a second win in his second start he will have to beat not only the Steelers top defense, but a Pittsburgh squad no doubt motivated following a home loss last Sunday.
Problem with taking Pittsburgh, is that their winning record appears a notch ahead of their actual talent, and the problem with betting against them is to buck their history of rebounding at home following a loss.
And, then there is the possibility that Pickett’s ribs will not allow him to finish this game, and I have no desire to spend an evening rooting for Trubisky. Or, anyone else in this intriguing but complicated matchup.