NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Steelers may have picked the right place to start winning on the road when they visit the punchless Titans tonight.
The Steelers (2-2) have two home wins and two road losses, and with running back Rashard Mendenhall back in the lineup to complement Ben Roethlisberger, they hope to pound away at a defense that has allowed more points than any other team in the league.
“If we are going to be a competitive type of team, the type of team we aspire to be, you have to go into hostile environments and do the job,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We haven’t done that. [Tonight] in Nashville, we anticipate it to be hostile. We anticipate a certain level of urgency coming from these guys.”
Urgency may be putting it mildly. The Titans (1-4) come into the game off a 30-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a game in which quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was ineffective replacing the injured Jake Locker and Chris Johnson was held in check.
Even with safety Troy Polamalu missing his third game with a strained right calf and linebacker LaMarr Woodley possibly out with a strained right hamstring, the Steelers are looking to begin a winning streak.
“We’re 0-2 on the road, that’s what the resume says about our 2012 season,”Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor said.