NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans (0-0) help kick off the NFL’s regular season schedule this week, traveling to Heinz Field (capacity 65,050) in Pittsburgh to face the Super Bowl Champion Steelers (0-0). Kickoff in the nationally-televised opener is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Sept. 10.
• Download the Official Press Release (PDF)
• Supplemental Game Notes (PDF)
THE BROADCAST
The game will be televised nationally in high definition on NBC, including Nashville affiliate WSMV Channel 4. Al Michaels will handle play-by-play duties, while Cris Collinsworth will provide color commentary. Andrea Kremer reports from the sidelines. Aditionally, NBCSports.com and NFL.com will stream the broadcast live through “Sunday Night Football Extra.”
The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 103.3-WKDF, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the “Voice of the
Titans” Mike Keith, color commentator Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.
Westwood One Radio Sports will carry the national radio broadcast. Marv Albert (play-byplay), Boomer Esiason (color commentary) and Mark Malone (sidelines) will provide the call.
THE MATCHUP
The matchup pits the two top AFC playoff seeds in 2008. The Titans, champions of the AFC South, had the NFL’s best regular season record at 13-3, while the Steelers won the AFC North with a 12-4 mark. The records included a pivotal Week 16 (Dec. 21) game at LP Field that the Titans won 31-14. The Titans tallied over 300 yards in the contest, and Chris Johnson
gave the Titans a lead they would not relinquish with a 21-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-one play in the third quarter. Defensively, then-rookie defensive lineman Jason Jones recorded 3.5 sacks for the Titans, and safety Michael Griffin returned one of his two interceptions 83 yards for a touchdown.
The win clinched homefield advantage in the playoffs for Tennessee. Ultimately, however, the Titans lost in the Divisional Round to the Baltimore Ravens, while the Steelers went on to defeat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
The Titans improved their preseason record to 3-2 last week with a 27-13 victory at LP Field over the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, the Steelers concluded their preseason schedule with a 21-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, giving the Steelers a 3-1 mark in the preseason.
TITANS AND STEELERS ON KICKOFF WEEKEND
The Titans are 26-23 all-time on Kickoff Weekend, including wins against the Jaguars the last two seasons. The Steelers own a 38-32 record in season openers, including a league-high six consecutive wins.
Previously, the Titans and Steelers have opened against each other four times (1970, 1980, 1992, 2005), with the Steelers enjoying a three-game winning streak that includes the most recent Week 1 matchup in 2005. In that game, played at Heinz Field, the Steelers used 209 total yards by running back Willie Parker to march to a 34-7 win.
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