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Steelers-Titans Preview: Derrick vs. David

Yinzer Crazy • October 22, 2020
Mike Tomlin had yet another tremendous line when previewing the matchup with the Titans at his Wednesday presser.

When asked about Titans RB Derrick Henry, he said “ This is like Bud Dupree running the football.”

And per usual - he’s exactly right.

Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree enters this cage match standing tall at 6’4, 265 pounds.

Henry checks into the fight at 6’3 240 pounds - with a stiff-arm more disrespectful than a Lebron James posterizing. (see video above)

There should be a football version of the basketball term “posterize” - analogous to when an opposing basketball player trying to play defense gets his head dunked on.

I’m calling it the Heisman-ize. 

And Henry, a former Heisman trophy winner at Alabama, has Heisman-ized many opponents over the years - including poor Bills cornerback Josh Norman just a few weeks ago.

But so far this season the Steelers defense has taken opposing running backs to task.

In their five contests, opposing running backs have 85 carries for just 274 total yards. 

That's good for an average of 3.22 yards per carry.

Against the Giants in week one, the stingy Steelers front held standout Saquon Barkley to a total of six yards on fifteen carries.

As I said in my write-up after that game - they made him look more like Charles Barkley.

And just last weekend the Steelers run-d came up huge against the Browns and talented tailback Kareem Hunt - who was held to just 40 yards on 13 carries.

If you take out the 74 yard scamper by Eagles running back Miles Sanders in week four, the Steelers are surrendering less than three yards a touch to running backs and haven’t allowed a rush longer than 19 yards.

Both would be the best in the NFL.

With all of that said - Derrick Henry is a different kind of animal.

If you want to continue on with the basketball references, if this were my favorite movie of the 90's Space Jam (should have won the Oscar for Best Picture) - the Steelers defense is the Tune Squad. 

And Henry is a Monstar.

Henry ranks first in the NFL in both rushing attempts and rushing yards so far in 2020 - and led the league in rushing in 2019.

He’s coming off of a game against the Texans where he carried the rock 22 times for 212 yards, including a 94 yard touchdown in which he outran the entire Houston secondary.

You just shouldn't be able to do that at his size.

Henry also caught a 53 yard pass in overtime and scored the game winning touchdown on a wildcat direct-snap on third and goal where he made the Texans defense look like bowling pins. 

I don’t need to explain further as to why he’s my man-crush at the RB position. 

It's also critical to note how Henry's presence has impacted Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who never had much of a rushing attack in Miami as Dolphins starting QB.

Tannehill has been an MVP caliber player - both this season and last.

Get this yinz - In his last fourteen starts he’s posted a record of 11-3.

He has 3,602 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and a rating of 116.7.

In that same span, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is also 11-3, with 3,674 total passing yards, 28 touchdowns and a rating of 102.3.

Tannehill > Mahomes.

Alright, not really - but aren’t those numbers absolutely staggering?

I also think they are in large-part due to the fact that Henry is so good.

I’m not trying to discredit Tannehill at all - but fronts are so focused on the Monstar that it’s basically put opposing defenses on rookie mode in Madden for Tannehill and the Titans offense.

I think Steelers Defensive Coordinator Keith Butler’s scheme on Sunday will be similar - which means they will first look to stop Henry and try to make Tannehill beat them through the air. 

Easier said than done - as most defenses have chosen that route and still been splattered by Henry.

So if Derrick Henry is Goliath - then new starting inside linebacker Robert Spillane is David.

The Steelers defense as mentioned has been tremendous against the run.

But they’ve also done it with ascending star in second year man Devin Bush anchoring the linebackers and wearing the green dot - which means he’s responsible for calling out the defensive plays.

Bush unfortunately is out for the season after tearing his ACL against the Browns. 

I wrote on Monday that Kevin Colbert should be working his ass off to try and make a deal for an inside linebacker - knowing that this team is a sure-fire super bowl contender as long as Ben Roethlisberger is the quarterback.

That has yet to happen (he’s probably trying).

So for now, we’re all aboard the Spillane Train.

This past Sunday against the Browns the third year linebacker out of Western Michigan played 30 snaps and finished second on the team in tackles with six. 

He also made some bone-crushing hits on Browns skill players such as tight-end Austin Hooper and Kareem Hunt. 

He and Vince Williams provide a hard-hitting tandem at inside linebacker with limited speed and coverage ability. 

But on the flipside, Spillane is an undrafted player with a very low ceiling and high floor.

He's not going to magically unlock some secret chamber of untapped potential.

Which makes me worry about him against the Titans who will certainly look to exploit him in different ways.

I'm really nervous about Titans tight-end Jonnu Smith.

Smith has five touchdowns this year, good for third among all NFL tight-ends.

The Steelers will likely be forced to slide safety Minkah Fitzpatrick over to Smith’s way in coverage meaning that corners Joe Haden and Steven Nelson won’t have additional help on standout receivers A.J. Brown and Corey Davis.

If they don't utilize that strategy you could see Spillane defending Smith, and on paper that's an unfavorable matchup for the black and gold.

Especially considering Keith Butler will want to stack the box to try and halt Henry.

So that’s your story-line.

Will the Spillane train keep on rolling? 

Or will Henry add to his list of Heisman-izing inferior foes?

If the Titans are able to establish the run it will obviously open things up for Tannehill and his weapons to continue to thrive.

It’s a recipe that took the Titans all the way to the AFC Championship game last season.

All I know is that we have a big time clash ahead of us. 

And oh by the way - both teams are 5-0,  and the winner will be the last unbeaten remaining in the AFC. 

But you already knew that. 


Prediction:

This is a really tough spot for the Steelers. 

So far here at Yinzercrazy.com we have predicted the Steelers to win in each contest so far this season.

They’ve accomplished just that.

The odds-makers currently have the Titans as a 3.5 point favorite at home.

As I mentioned last week, odds-makers adjust the lines 3 total points based on who is playing in their home stadium - so they essentially view these teams as evenly matched.

I see much of the same.

This will be a knock em down, drag em out, bloody fight. 

Old-school football. What a rush.

Fellas - don’t wear sweatpants if you’re going to be around other humans while watching this contest.

Unlike last week against the Browns, this game will live up to the billing.

I don’t think the Steelers will completely stop Henry, but I do like how they match up against the Titans. 

I actually think they stack up against Tennessee better than they do Baltimore, as Lamar Jackson is more of a challenge for this front. 

More on that next week.

It won’t be easy, and the home-field advantage could ultimately give the Titans the edge.

My money's on the Steelers front finding a way to combat Henry with their tenacious ability to get into the backfield - as we've seen so often the first five weeks. 

Ben Roethlisberger makes just one more play than Ryan Tannehill.

Steelers 27 - Titans 25.

And they head to Baltimore as the last unbeaten team in the American Football Conference. 



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