A couple of weeks ago, the Tennessee Titans had an outbreak of COVID-19 within their team. It affected a number of players, coaches and staff members. It meant they had to postpone their game against the Steelers and they had to push their next game, against the Bills, to a Tuesday night.
This, of course, inconvenienced the Steelers a little, as they had to move their bye week up and will have to play 13 weeks in a row with no break. And then they also have to play three road games in a row and two potentially physical games against the Titans and Ravens in back-to-back weeks.
Oh the horror, how unfair of the NFL! How dare they do this to the Steelers ...
That was the outcry from many fans and media in this town. And then there was a lunatic fringe that demanded the Titans be forced to forfeit the game because they didn't follow all the COVID protocols. It turns out they had a couple of unsanctioned workouts when their facility was shut and that's likely where a few extra players contracted the COVID.
The calls for a forfeit were silly, misguided and based in nothing more than Steeler-mania then, and they look even more silly now that the game is about to be played Sunday in Tennessee.
And, boy, I am glad the NFL didn't cave to whatever public pressure existed because that would have been a huge mistake and bad precedent to set. They did what they should have done _ they tightened and added to the COVID protocols and will discipline the Titans with a fine. That's called using common sense as opposed to being reactionary.
And as a result, we are now going to be treated to one of the biggest games of the season.
The NFL has two 5-0 teams squaring off against each other to showcase. Local morning show host Chris Mack did some research and found this is only the fifth time since 1970 that two teams of at least 5-0 will meet. And in the previous four games, the winner of the game went to the Super Bowl.
That's pretty incredible if you think about how rare a game like this takes place. And yet the Steelers are a part of it and they wouldn't have been if the originally scheduled game had been a forfeit.
This is going to be a good old-fashioned football game. This will be a throwback to when the game was physical, when running the ball was valued and when both defenses played with a nasty attitude.
Back in the day, Greg Lloyd used to walk around with a T-shirt that read "I wasn't hired for my disposition" and then went and played that way. That's pretty much the attitude of both defenses in this game Sunday.
You like big hits and big plays on defense? Well, this is the game for you.
And both teams will set the tone with an offense that runs the ball right at the defense.
The Titans offense is obviously built around running back Derrick Henry, who is a combination of thoroughbred and Clydesdale. He averages 25 carries a game and is capable of taking every one of those carries to the end zone. He had 264 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns Sunday in a win over the Texans. He is a legitimate MVP candidate.
The Steelers' challenge is to stop him, and Mike Tomlin acknowledged as much Tuesday at his news conference. He talked about Henry's highlight reel showing something he hasn't seen.
"It is really astounding that a back of his size is capable of going to the house just about every time he touches it," Tomlin said. "There are people who are intimidated by him and there are things to be intimidated about. This is like Bud Dupree running the football."
The Titans aren't just a one-trick pony, though, as their quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been spectacular, as well. In fact, CBS compared his last 14 games to that of Patrick Mahomes and his numbers are very favorable. He is 11-3 in those games with 31 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
The Steelers will certainly have their hands full. It won't be easy. It will be physical and nasty, and both teams will make big plays on both sides of the ball.
This is the kind of game the NFL wants on full display.
This should be a great game for fans to watch, and whichever team survives takes a big step forward in the race to the top seed in the AFC. It is everything you should want as a fan.
Of course, it wouldn't be taking place if the NFL listened to many experts around here and decided to punish the Titans by making them forfeit to the Steelers. I'm glad common sense prevailed, and I'm pretty sure most fans would agree now that the game is here and it is the featured game of the weekend.
