The story being pushed in the days leading up to Steelers-Titans — did you know, it’s only the fifth time in league history that two undefeated teams have met in Week 7 or later, and the previous four winners went on to reach the Super Bowl — has been decidedly old-school in nature.
In a league where there is no such thing as too much passing, and betting the over on every game so far this season would have allowed you to pay off your mortgage and purchase a beach house somewhere nice, the showdown between the Steelers’ front-seven and Tennessee running back/bulldozer/wrecking ball/biblical force Derrick Henry has consumed much of the sports talk oxygen.
Frankly, it isn’t just the pundits and fans who are champing at the bit for an old-fashioned physical slugfest, the kind that confers macho status and bragging rights to the winner; the players are buying into the notion, too. Stephon Tuitt, no stranger to big hits — just ask Pitt’s Tom Savage — talked of this being a “buckle the chin strap” sort of game, the one where pain is part of the toll, much more so than usual.
The funny thing about that analysis of the matchup is that for all its prevalence, it’s dead wrong. This game isn’t about whether the Steelers can out-tough a running back whose specialty is defensive back emasculation. Henry is a guy to worry about, for sure, but he’s not “the” guy to worry about.
That would be quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill has started 15 regular-season games for the Titans, something that passes for a real sample size, particularly for a former first-round pick who had extensive starting experience prior to his arrival in Nashville. Those 15 games have been nothing less than spectacular. Since taking over for the perpetually middling Marcus Mariota, Tannehill hasn’t just played well, he’s played like the best quarterback in a league currently flush with great ones.
The numbers in those 15 games speak for themselves: 35 touchdowns against just eight interceptions, a 116 passer rating, and none of it appears particularly fluky. Tannehill is taking shots downfield with regularity, and completing plenty of them. He’s not being insulated by Henry’s greatness, he’s abetting it.
Last year, Henry averaged 3.7 yards per carry and 69 yards per game with Mariota as the starter. Once Tannehill took over, those numbers jumped to 5.9 and 125, respectively. Henry was a completely different player, and Tannehill’s influence on the offense, and how opposing defenses had to account for him, is what opened up more room for Henry.
I’ll admit to being skeptical when Tennessee rewarded Tannehill’s sublime play last season with a big off-season extension. It felt like the Titans were falling victim to the charms of a brief run of brilliance, but I was dead wrong; Tannehill has picked up right where he left off. But for a subpar game against the Vikings, one that Tennessee still managed to win, he’s been outstanding again this season.
Tannehill is accurate, lethal on play-action, and a very good athlete, more a legitimate threat to run than a “scrambler.” There have never been any questions about his physical tools for the position; now that the mental side has caught up, and he and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are making beautiful music together, Tennessee, even with a shoddy defense, looks like a serious contender.
Despite his consistent excellence, a quick perusal of Twitter reveals some stubborn holdouts, people convinced that he is a byproduct of Henry, and not the other way around. Never mind the fact that Henry really took off and became a league-wide phenomenon only after Tannehill usurped Mariota.
Rest assured that the Steelers are acutely aware of just how good Tannehill is, and harbor no illusions about what he is capable of. They know that the strategy of “stop Henry and make Tannehill beat you,” might result in exactly that. They also know that Tannehill and Smith have likely been licking their chops at the thought of facing a Devin Bush-less defense.
Robert Spillane might be cerebral and hard-nosed, but he’s not good against the pass, and not very fast. In other words, he’s a target, particularly against teams adept at play-action, and with quality threats in the middle of the field.
It is here that I note that Tennessee tight end Jonnu Smith leads the team with five touchdown catches, and that wide receiver A.J. Brown is a burgeoning superstar, dangerous at all times, and not at all shy about working the middle of the field.
If you think the Steelers’ path to victory involves stifling Derrick Henry and daring Ryan Tannehill to beat them, be careful what you wish for because he's quite capable of doing exactly that.
Chris Mueller is a sports columnist for The Times.
The Link LonkOctober 25, 2020 at 06:03AM
https://www.timesonline.com/story/sports/nfl/2020/10/24/forget-derrick-henry-ryan-tannehill-titans-biggest-threat/6024602002/
Forget Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill is Titans' biggest threat - The Times
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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