The Pittsburgh Steelers will win the turnover battle against the Titans.
Ben Roethlisberger is playing the best ball of his career right now and I don’t care if he doesn’t have over 2,000 yards passing yet, he doesn’t need to. He has been incredibly efficient and is on pace for a career-low in interceptions. He is also boasting a quality 69% completion percentage which is the highest on any season of his career.
With the Steelers being able to run the ball effectively in Week 7 he isn’t going to have to force anything. This is going to be a game where Pittsburgh will have the lead. Meaning Tannehill will have to throw a lot while Ben won’t and that is going to result in more chances for the defense with the 2nd most interceptions in the league, Pittsburgh, to swipe the ball away.
I am not saying this will be a blowout. The Titans will make some plays and keep it competitive even while Pittsburgh should hold a lead throughout the majority of this contest. I don’t see Tennessee being able to get a pick when Ben has been playing so efficient and Conner is very good at securing the ball so a fumble won’t be expected. Meanwhile, the amount of pressure that Tannehill will be facing is sure to create opportunities for this Steelers defense to get the ball back in Ben’s hands.
Mike Tomlin has consistently told us how important the turnover battle is when it comes to winning football games. It’s no surprise that the teams in the top 5 in the league in turnover differential have a combined record of 25-2. This includes the 3 undefeated teams left in the league, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and the Seattle Seahawks. On top of Pittsburgh being the most well-equipped team to stop the leagues leading rusher, there is such a gap in the quality of pass rushers and wide receivers between these two teams that it really should be a statement win for Pittsburgh.
I am not saying that it will be a blowout. However, I don’t really see how Tennessee is going to be able to beat the Steelers in this game. Pittsburgh has the more successful coach, a more experienced quarterback, a better defense, more weapons on offense, and they field a much more balanced attack as well. This should be a game where Pittsburgh takes the lead and grows it before maintaining it throughout the majority of the game if not the entirety of it.