NFL Kickoff 2009

At Pittsburgh -5.5 Tennessee 35

To the victor go the spoils, as they say, and the Steelers get the home opener against last year’s #1 seed in the AFC, the Titans. Pittsburgh returns their Super Bowl championship team virtually intact, and it’s hard to see how they’d be anything but unstoppable playing in front of their rabid towel-waving fans at Heinz Field. The Steelers are a run-first enterprise and will find their task somewhat easier now that Albert Haynesworth won’t be plugging up the middle for the Titans on Thursday night. Don’t expect the Titans to roll over, they’re well coached and will be prepared. They will try to emphasize the run and a ball control offense with Kerry Collins and they still have a good defense, but the Steelers are simply better on both sides of the ball.

Projected Final Score: Pittsburgh 24, Tennessee 17.