Unbeaten teams can get exposed, too.
Especially against the Steelers.
The Titans have many strengths, but in Sunday's game between the AFC's two unbeaten teams, the Steelers of Mike Tomlin exploited the subpar footspeed of two tough but old cornerbacks and a blocking unit that lost both tackles from last year's AFC finalist.
"Give Pittsburgh a lot of credit — this was clearly the best team we've played to this point," said Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
The Steelers used a pass-first offense and defensive pressure to build a 20-point lead in Nashville and held on to win, 27-24, after Stephen Gostkowski's 45-yard kick veered wide right with 14 seconds left. Pittsburgh's offense converted on 13 of 18 third downs, a big factor in overcoming three interceptions.
So, yes, Ben Roethlisberger's recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery is on track. And in becoming the first Steelers team to score 25 points in all six games to start a season and the second to go 6-0, the Steelers are a Super Bowl contender a year after scrambling to finish 8-8 without Roethlisberger, who was lost to a torn elbow ligament in Week 2.
"We feel we have a really good football team, right?" said Roethlisberger, 38. "We felt that (this season) could be really special."
The game looming Sunday against the rested Ravens (5-1) has the Steelers a 5 1/2-point underdog on early betting lines.
The status of Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson this week will bear watching.
Featured more than ever, the second-year receiver limped off after his ninth catch converted a third down on Pittsburgh's final drive.
Steelers play-caller Randy Fichtner and Roethlisberger attacked Titans cornerbacks Johnathan Joseph, 36, and Malcolm Butler, 30, from the start. Play designs and short passes accentuated Pittsburgh's speed edge on the perimeter.
The shifty Johnson, a week after the Steelers held him out against the Browns with a back injury, commanded a career-high 15 targets and finished with 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
JuJu Smith-Schuster turned a season-high 13 targets into nine catches for 85 yards. Tight end Eric Ebron, given a season-high eight targets, had six catches for 50 yards.
Even if Tennessee's 5-0 start owed in part to its opponents — the Jaguars, Broncos, Texans, Vikings and Bills — the Steelers' sprint to a 27-7 lead was impressive.
The Steelers gained 100 yards on their first drive, overcoming 25 yards in penalties. Through two drives they were up 14-0 with advantages of 29-3 in plays and 161-1 in yards.
Roethlisberger said he told Tomlin he wanted the ball to start the game. He wanted to force Tennessee to stage a big rally, not a Titans strength. "We wanted to do anything we could give our defense a leg up," he said.
Titans safety Kevin Byard suggested his team's defense "should've challenged" Steelers targets more, especially on third-and-long.
The speed deficiency at cornerback was evident, making defensive tactics more limited.
Next month, the Titans could speed up their pass defense if fourth-year corner Adoree Jackson returns from a knee injury to make his season debut. The USC alum showed 4.42 speed in predraft workouts.
Defensively, the Steelers started fast, too, getting strong work from a pair of 2017 draftees in edge rusher T.J. Watt (first round) and cornerback Cameron Sutton (third round). They disrupted quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who got away with a wild pass and a fumble on his team's only scoring drive through a half-plus. And on its last series, Pittsburgh's pass rush harried Tannehill into a grounding infraction. The first-down play at Pittsburgh's 25 with a minute left created second-and-20 and blunted Tennessee's bid for a go-ahead touchdown.
The Titans (5-1) are favored by 4 1/2 points to win Sunday at Cincinnati, and are thankful A.J. Brown, a Padres draftee in 2016 (19th round), chose the NFL over MLB. Brown took a slant for a 72-yard score and finished with 153 receiving yards, matching his career high.
