Steelers vs. Titans: Who the experts are taking in this Week 9 Thursday night battle

Final prediction has the Titans running their way past the Steelers

It is hard to imagine a world where the Steelers offense can produce more than 17 points or more in a single game. Pickett might be playing, but he will probably be sore on a short week. He isn't Ben Roethlisberger so don't expect him to do better because of this injury. It is a difficult matchup again for Pittsburgh to overcome, so this might be another sad week in Pittsburgh.

Derrick Henry is going to be the key difference maker in this one and it will directly affect the outcome. The Steelers need to stop the run game and force Levis to beat them with his arm. They need to limit chunk plays and do just enough to force a couple of turnovers. They only know one way to win ball games and that is the only chance they have until things start to change.

Final prediction: Titans 22, Steelers 17

It is hard to imagine that the black and gold will be able to hold off Henry much. He is still a smart running back and the Steelers defense is one of the worst run defenders in the NFL. That is a recipe for disaster against one of the better rushing attacks in the NFL over the past five years or more. That should open up a lot of things for the Titans.

Levis will then be able to open up play action passes and create chunk plays on offense. Levis is also a quality runner and that will make for a tough day at the office for some of the Pittsburgh linebackers. This will depend on whether the defense can bend but not break just enough and cause a couple of turnovers. The offense for the Steelers will need to take advantage this week if they want a shot at winning this contest.