Different divisions, but same old Titans-Steelers rivalry

PITTSBURGH -- The rivalry began in 1970, the very year the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Terry Bradshaw and moved into Three Rivers Stadium. The Titans were still the Houston Oilers, playing in a stadium nicknamed, with just a hint of Texas-sized braggadocio, the Eighth Wonder of the World.\nThe rivalry has survived the Steelers' move to Heinz Field and the Oilers' relocation to Nashville, where the Titans' stadium is known, with just a touch of Tennessee-sized modesty, simply as The Coliseum.\nBum Phillips and Chuck Noll once patrolled the sidelines; now Jeff Fisher and Bill Cowher walk confidently in their footsteps. Dan Pastorini and Bradshaw have long since given way to Steve McNair and Tommy Maddox -- one a possible prototype of the NFL QB of the future, the other a throwback to the days of the pass-it-on-every-down AFL that spawned these very Titans.\nIt's a rivalry that extends beyond the playing field, too. Want to know how much the coaches like each other? Consider this: Cowher, then with the Eagles, once took part in a special teams hit that broke ex-Bears defensive back Fisher's leg.\nThat's a sore spot with Fisher, much like the Titans' 9-2 record in their last 11 meetings against Pittsburgh is with Cowher. Despite the disparity, the games usually are tightly played and physical, so much so that Steelers lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen said, "After these games, everything else seems a little easier."\nThat's why Sunday's game at Heinz Field -- or, as the Titans call it, the Big Ketchup Bottle -- has the look, feel and familiarity of a division game. This will be the first time they've met in Pittsburgh when they weren't in the same division, yet this will be the fifth time they've played in three seasons and the third in less than a calendar year.\n"We're so used to playing them," Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress said. "We know them and they know us."\nThe Steelers (2-1) won't say so publicly, but they've had this date circled on their calendars for months.\nThey still haven't gotten over a 31-23 loss at Tennessee last season that saw a seemingly routine hit by Keith Bulluck put Maddox in the hospital with temporary paralysis, perhaps the scariest moment of the NFL season.\nAnd they certainly haven't gotten over their 34-31 overtime playoff loss at Tennessee, when Dewayne Washington was penalized for brushing Joe Nedney's leg during an overtime field-goal attempt. Given a second chance, Nedney sent the Titans into the AFC title game and the Steelers into the offseason, albeit kicking and screaming.\nAsked about those games, Maddox said, "I've already forgotten one" -- a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact he has no memory of the Bulluck hit. The other, though, he'll always remember.\n"I think everybody, after that game, wanted to hurry and get back to the season because everybody was still hungry to play," said Maddox, the AFC's leading passer.\nThe Titans (2-1) feel the same way, but for a different reason. They still have bad memories of their last trip to Pittsburgh, a 34-7 loss in 2001. They went on to finish 7-9 and miss the playoffs.\n"We look forward to going out there," McNair said. "The last time we were there, we were embarrassed."\nThat was one of McNair's few failures against the Steelers. He is 8-3 against them. The only team he's beaten more often are the Bengals, going 9-3.\nLast season, McNair threw for 595 yards and four touchdowns against a Pittsburgh defense that struggled in pass coverage from September through January. The Steelers have since tightened up their defense without making numerous personnel changes and currently lead the AFC in total defense and pass defense. Tennessee is first in the AFC against the run and second in total defense but only eighth against the pass.\n"Their entire defense is playing fast and putting on good pressure," Fisher said. "They were always a pressure-oriented defense, and it's easier to play pass defense when you get good pressure up front."\nThe Steelers' challenge is to get a running game going against a Tennessee defense that allows only 61.3 yards per game rushing. The Steelers had little success running against the Ravens or Chiefs before gaining a season-high 138 yards against the Bengals last week.\n"Tennessee's front seven has always been their strength," Steelers guard Alan Faneca said. "They all get to the ball. It's not two or three guys making a tackle ... it's the other five guys running in there to get a hit. That's the way they play the game."\nHmm, sounds like a Titans-Steelers game.\n"We both pride ourselves on being the most physical team in the NFL," von Oelhoffen said. "They're going to try to pound on us, we're going to try to pound on them. You just love playing these games"