The Carolina Panthers come off their bye week and host the Tennessee Titans in Week 10 on Nov.13^th. With the second half of the season beginning, the Panthers need to improve to better their 2-6 record. Here are some keys for the Panthers to achieve victory.

Keep Chris Johnson Quiet

Johnson has certainly not been himself so far this season, but in any game that could change. Johnson could be looking at this game as his chance to do just that. The Panthers have given up 133.3 yards per game on average, which is the sixth highest total allowed in the league. They have also allowed 11 rushing touchdowns tied for most in the league. The Titans have an NFL-worst rushing attack with 70 yards per game, but something is going to give. If Johnson finds his old self, it could be a tough game for the Panthers rushing defense.

Can Cam Newton(notes) Begin Second Half Of Season Like The First?

Newton has surpassed all expectations of his rookie season so far. However, there is much of the season left to play. With the second half of the season beginning this Sunday, Newton will have to continue to play well for the Panthers to improve on their 2-6 record. Many might say it is Newton’s teammates who need to step up and although that may be true at times, Newton needs to continue to focus on his game. I fully expect him to play like he has been, even after the bye week. With the Titans giving up 231.5 yards per game, Newton may well exceed that through the air. He also will surely have a big impact with his legs in this one.

Can The Panthers Win A Close Game?

Carolina suffered a tough defeat to the Vikings in their last game after Olindo Mare(notes) missed his late field goal attempt. I have written about the Panthers troubles finishing off games before, but it still applies now. If Carolina wants to be considered a good team, they need to get over the hump and win these close one. I can see another tight game this Sunday, but hopefully with different results for the Panthers.

*All stats found on espn.com

Although living several hundred miles from Charlotte, Matthew Levine bleeds Carolina blue. He has followed the Panthers since their inaugural season in 1995 and was absolutely heart-broken over the 2003 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

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The Carolina Panthers have just a pair of wins through eight games, but with
rookie quarterback Cam Newton(notes) keeping them competitive, they’re confident there
will be better second-half results.

The Tennessee Titans have the same hopes as they sit at .500 at the season’s
midpoint.

Coming off a bye, the Panthers close out a three-game stretch at home Sunday
when they face a Titans team opening a road-heavy portion of its schedule.

With Olindo Mare(notes) missing a 31-yard field goal with 26 seconds left in a
24-21 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 30, the Panthers limped into the bye week at 2-6
- far off the 10-win pace first-year coach Ron Rivera said his team was capable
of in training camp.

“To be 2-6 is not acceptable by any means, and it’s disappointing,” Rivera
said. “But what we can do, and what we have the ability to do, is more important
to our guys right now.”

Through eight games, Newton’s poise and athletic ability have provided
plenty of optimism for a franchise that finished last in the league in points
(196) and total offense (258.4 yards per game) last season in going 2-14.

The No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner is sixth in the NFL with
2,393 passing yards and he’s thrown for 11 TDs – four apiece to Steve Smith and
tight end Greg Olsen(notes) – after setting a career high with three against the
Vikings.

Newton has also run for 319 yards and seven scores, helping Carolina rank
fifth in the league in offense with 415.1 yards per contest.

“The biggest thing is Cam has changed our expectations,” Rivera said.
“We’ve gotten more than we expected from him at an earlier time. And that’s
great. That has helped us to develop the offense a lot faster. As he continues
to progress, this system will continue to grow.”

While some Panthers feel the team has the talent to win out – tackle Jordan
Gross(notes) said the goal should be to finish with a winning record – one of
Carolina’s primary concerns should be closing out games. They’ve blown second
half leads in five of their six losses.

“It’s been like (the movie) Groundhog Day around here,” Olsen said.

As Carolina looks to get back on track before playing three straight and
five of seven outside Charlotte, the Titans (4-4) are trying to rebound from a
1-2 homestand with the first of five second-half road games.

Tennessee missed a great opportunity to keep pace with AFC South-leading
Houston (6-3) by getting outscored 17-0 in the second half of Sunday’s 24-17
loss to Cincinnati. The Titans, though, are still in the playoff hunt as every
team in the conference has at least two losses.

“Nobody is out of reach,” right guard Jake Scott(notes) said. “There’s nobody
running away with it. On the other side, there’s not that many teams out of it
completely. It’s going to be very interesting in the AFC going down the next two
months.”

It the Titans are going to make a second-half run, the offense will likely
have to step up. Tennessee, which managed just 95 yards in the final 30 minutes
against the Bengals, is 23rd in the league in scoring (19.5 points per game) and
27th in total offense, averaging 310.3 yards.

The biggest disappointment for coach Mike Munchak’s team has been its
NFL-worst running attack, which is averaging 70.0 yards. Three-time Pro Bowler
Chris Johnson is on pace to rush for 732 yards after going for a league-best
4,598 in his first three seasons.

The Panthers are yielding 133.3 yards per game on the ground – sixth-most in
the league – and are tied for the most rushing TDs allowed with 11.

Carolina’s pass defense has also struggled, with opposing quarterbacks
averaging 8.35 yards per attempt – the second-highest ratio allowed in the NFL.

Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck(notes) is averaging 5.63 yards per attempt
during the 1-3 skid, yet his 2,014 yards are the second-most he’s passed for
through eight games in his career.

Hasselbeck was 3-1 as a starter against Carolina while with Seattle,
including a 34-14 victory in the 2006 NFC championship game.

This is the fourth meeting between these franchises, and first since the
Titans’ 20-7 home win Nov. 4, 2007.

The Titans posted a 37-17 victory in Carolina on Oct. 19, 2003, in the first
matchup between these teams since the Houston Oilers relocated to Tennessee in
1997.

To Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum, add the
Tennessee Titans as practitioners of sweet music in
Nashville.

 An AFC South devoid of Peyton Manning already has developed into a
two-team race between the Titans (3-2) and reeling Houston Texans
(3-3). The Titans begin a three-game homestand with a superb chance
to lay claim to the division in what was supposed to be a
transitional season under new coach Mike Munchak.

 ‘‘It’s always a big game when we play (Tennessee), a very physical
game, a divisional game, which makes it even more important,’’
Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. ‘‘It’s something we are looking
forward to coming off of two tough losses, trying to regroup over
here.’’

 Tennessee fullback Ahmard Hall, who is from Houston — the former
home of the Titans — believes that fact adds spice to the series,
which Tennessee leads 13-5.

 ‘‘Good teams in this league win at home. Great teams in this
league are undefeated at home. We can put our foot down on some
guys, take control of the division and get into the playoffs and
try to make a run,’’ Hall said.

 A year ago, with a much different roster that was headed for a
6-10 record that cost Jeff Fisher his job as coach, the Titans won
31-17 in Music City in Game 14. That loss helped keep the Texans
from their first playoff berth.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Points have been hard to come by this season when the
Tennessee Titans or Pittsburgh Steelers are lined up on the defensive side of
the ball, but the edge in this Week 5 showdown at Heinz Field could have
shifted to the visitors because of an injury to Steelers linebacker James
Harrison.

A left foot ailment to Ben Roethlisberger isn’t likely to help Pittsburgh’s
chances on Sunday either as it tries to prevent Tennessee and resurgent
quarterback Matt Hasselbeck from recording a fourth straight victory.

While the 3-1 Titans are tied with Houston atop the AFC South, the Steelers
are a game off the pace in the AFC North following a 17-10 defeat to the Texans
last weekend. Pittsburgh was looking for a third straight win after a humbling
28-point defeat to division-rival Baltimore in Week 1, but struggled on offense
and lost Harrison to an eye injury in the first half.

Though Harrison did play some in the second half, Steelers head coach Mike
Tomlin said on Tuesday that his star linebacker and former NFL Defensive Player
of the Year will be out for a few games because of a fractured orbital bone.

The news was better on Roethlisberger, who will likely be limited in practice
before playing on Sunday.

“[He] had his foot X-rayed, MRI’ed [and] thankfully nothing’s broken there,”
Tomlin stated. “It is a sprain and may limit him at the early portions [in
practice] of the week, but we do anticipate him being able to participate in
this football game. We’re going to let the week speak to us.”

Added Roethlisberger on Wednesday, “We will just take it day-by-day and kind
of see how it goes. If it’s just a pain tolerance thing, I’m going to be out
there. I can deal with pain, we just want to make sure that structurally it’s
sound and we give our team the best chance to win.”

The Steelers lost for only the third time in their last 11 regular-season road
games and are still in decent position after opening the season with three of
four games away from home. Pittsburgh recorded a 24-0 victory over Seattle on
Sept. 18 in its only other game at Heinz Field this season, and plays its next
two at home looking to make a run in the standings.

“We better have a sense of urgency,” said Tomlin. “I think anytime you are
coming off of a sub-standard performance when you lose, there needs to be a
sense of urgency in terms of how you bounce back. But we are not going to make
something out of this that it’s not. We understand that we are capable of
playing better. We expect to play better.”

Pittsburgh’s offense will need to improve as it faces the league’s top-scoring
defense in the Titans, who have not allowed more than 16 points in a game this
season. That has put Tennessee in position to win four in a row for the first
time since a five-game run from Nov. 1-29, 2009.

At 3-1, Tennessee is also off to its best start since beginning the 2008
campaign with 10 consecutive victories.

Hasselbeck has been key to the success. After joining the Titans this
offseason, the veteran has passed for 1,152 yards with eight touchdowns, the
best totals in both categories over a four-game start over his 13-year career.

He threw three first-half touchdown passes in last Sunday’s 31-13 victory over
Cleveland, finding three different receivers.

“He did a good job of reading the coverage and throwing to people that can
make plays,” Titans head coach Mike Munchak said of Hasselbeck. “He has been
doing that for all four weeks that he has played for us, so hopefully he can
continue to get better by working with the young receivers.”

Hasselbeck has struggled in the past against the Steelers, having thrown for
604 yards with two touchdowns, a pair of interceptions and taking 10 sacks in
three previous meetings.

The Titans snapped a six-game road slide dating back to last season with their
win at Cleveland and will open a three-game homestand after their Oct. 16 bye.

SERIES HISTORY

These one-time division rivals have faced one another 69 times previously
during the regular season, with Pittsburgh extending its lead in the series to
40-29 by virtue of a 19-11 win in Nashville during Week 2 of last season. The
Steelers also came through with a 13-10 overtime decision over Tennessee at
home in 2009 and have never lost to the Titans in three lifetime meetings at
Heinz Field. Tennessee’s last victory in Pittsburgh was a 23-20 triumph at
Three Rivers Stadium on Sept. 24, 2000, and the team last topped the Steelers
back in 2008, a 31-14 win at LP Field.

Pittsburgh also owns a 3-1 advantage over the Tennessee franchise in
postseason play. The Steelers defeated the Houston Oilers at home in both the
1978 and 1979 AFC Championship Games and were 26-23 overtime victors at the
Astrodome in a 1989 AFC First-Round Playoff. The Titans’ only positive result
in the playoff series was a 34-31 overtime verdict in a 2002 AFC Divisional
Playoff held in Nashville.

These teams squared off twice annually from 1970-2001, when both were then
members of the now-defunct AFC Central Division.

Tomlin is 2-1 all-time against the Titans as a head coach, while Munchak will
be opposing both the Steelers and Tomlin for the first time as a man in
charge.

WHEN THE TITANS HAVE THE BALL

Tennessee’s 18th-ranked offense (347.3 ypg) didn’t miss a beat without wide
receiver Kenny Britt (17 receptions, 3 TD), who suffered a season-ending knee
surgery in a Week 3 win over Denver. Hasselbeck spread the wealth without his
top option, hitting six different receivers. Tight end Jared Cook (7
receptions, 1 TD) caught two of the six balls thrown his way, one for an 80-
yard touchdown that was the longest by a Titans/Oilers tight end since Willie
Frazier on Nov. 6, 1964. Former Steeler Nate Washington (23 receptions, 1 TD)
added a pair of catches for 62 yards and both tight end Craig Stevens and
rookie wideout Damian Williams grabbed touchdown passes, with Williams posting
the first of his career. Giving Hasselbeck time has been key and the offensive
line, led by tackle Michael Roos and guard Jake Scott, did not allow a sack
for the second time in four games and has yielded just four all season. The
Titans still rank last in the league in rushing, but Chris Johnson (199
rushing yards) did go over 100 yards for the first time this season and will
have fullback Ahmard Hall back in front of him this week, as the latter returns
from a four-game suspension for using a substance on the league’s banned list.

The Titans will look to keep Johnson going this weekend against a Steelers
defense that ranks second overall in the league (277.0 ypg) and first against
the pass (157.5 ypg), but will feature a different look due to injuries. With
Harrison (23 tackles, 2 sacks) out and fellow outside linebacker Jason Worilds
also doubtful thanks to a left quad problem, Lawrence Timmons (25 tackles) will
slide over from the inside to replace Harrison on the right outside spot, while
veteran Larry Foote (13 tackles, 1 sack) will take over for Timmons in the
middle alongside James Farrior (18 tackles, 1 sack). Defensive end Aaron Smith
(8 tackles) could also miss the game because of a foot sprain, opening the
door for either Ziggy Hood or rookie Cameron Heyward to start as long as Brett
Keisel (5 tackles) can return as expected from a knee ailment that’s kept him
out of the last two games. Pittsburgh’s defense did limit Houston to 138 yards
passing — marking the third straight game it allowed less than 150 yards
through the air, but was touched for 180 yards on the ground, including 155 by
running back Arian Foster. The Steelers did not come up with a sack versus the
Texans and are still searching for their first interception of the season.
Safety Troy Polamalu (26 tackles, 1 sack) does have three picks in five games
versus the Titans.

WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL

While the Steelers have not been forcing turnovers at a desired pace, they
have been generous in giving the ball away. Pittsburgh ranks last in the
league with a minus-10 turnover ratio, with Roethlisberger (1148 passing
yards, 3 TD, 5 INT) adding to that total with an interception versus the
Texans. Roethlisberger threw for 206 yards last weekend and was sacked five
times as well. With the quarterback hurting, Pittsburgh will try to offer more
protection and could have both guard Doug Legursky (shoulder) and left tackle
Jonathan Scott (ankle) back in the mix this weekend. Pittsburgh also added
depth by re-signing veteran tackle Max Starks after cutting him during the
preseason. Deep threat Mike Wallace (25 receptions, 2 TD) saw his string of six
straight games with at least 100 yards receiving — tied for second-longest in
league history — end after making four catches for a game-high 77 yards
against Houston, while wideout Antonio Brown (15 receptions) led the way last
week with five receptions for 67 yards. Running back Rashard Mendenhall (173
rushing yards, 2 TD) scored his sixth rushing touchdown in seven games, but was
limited to nine carries thanks to a hamstring injury. Fellow back Mewelde Moore
is also battling an ankle issue after carrying the ball four times for 34 yards
in the loss. If those two can’t go, Isaac Redman will likely handle the bulk of
the rushing duties.

Not only did the Titans limit the Browns to just 13 points despite yielding
416 yards of offense, but safety Jordan Babineaux (15 tackles, 1 INT) returned
an interception 97 yards for a score, the second pick-six of his career and
third-longest in club history. Babineaux was back on the field after Chris
Hope (10 tackles) returned from a shoulder injury only to suffer a broken
forearm that could sideline him for at least four weeks. Browns quarterback
Colt McCoy attacked the Tennessee secondary with 61 passes, completing 40 of
them, but was sacked by three different Titans and the team notched four sacks
in all. Rookie defensive tackle Karl Klug (6 tackles, 2 sacks), defensive end
Jason Jones, rookie linebacker Akeem Ayers (18 tackles, 1 sack) and defensive
end Derrick Morgan (8 tackles, 2 sacks) all had a sack each. Safety Michael
Griffin (17 tackles) also came up with a big play when he stuffed running back
Armond Smith on a 4th-and-1 near midfield during the second quarter, deflating
the Cleveland offense. With Cleveland going to the air so much, corners
Cortland Finnegan (20 tackles) and Jason McCourty (25 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INT)
were both busy, making 11 and 10 tackles, respectively, while outside
linebacker Will Witherspoon (20 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) made eight tackles and
had two passes defensed.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Yes, Hasselbeck has put together a great start, but the Steelers’ defense
still has plenty of playmakers in the secondary even without Harrison roaming
the field. That means that Johnson will have to show up for a second straight
week to take the pressure off the passing game.

For Pittsburgh, the offensive line will have to handle the Titans’ pass rush
with Roethlisberger battling a sprained foot. The returns of Legursky and Scott
should help and Starks can probably step right in and play if needed, but the
Steelers won’t stand a chance if Big Ben has to get mobile.

Prevent the big play. Wallace is a threat to bust a game-changing play at any
time, but the Titans have done an excellent job of limiting such moments.
Tennessee ranks first in the league with an average of just 4.4 yards allowed
per play.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Left to settle into the ranks of NFL afterthought, Hasselbeck has instead
sparked the Titans to one of their best starts in recent memory despite the
talented Johnson’s slow start. The veteran quarterback showed last week that
he doesn’t need a No. 1 target to be successful, and his ability to spread the
ball out should keep the Steelers’ secondary on its heels. Pittsburgh has yet
to flash the talent that helped get the team to the Super Bowl a season ago,
and injuries to Harrison and Roethlisberger aren’t exactly what it needs right
now. This is probably the toughest of a three-game stretch that comes before
Pittsburgh’s big showdowns with the Patriots and Ravens later on in the season,
and the Steelers will likely have to wait one more week to turn things around.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Titans 16, Steelers 13

©2011 Sports Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

OWINGS MILLS – Instead of swaggering around their training complex and basking in the afterglow of stomping the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens immediately got back to work.

And they insist they’re taking the Tennessee Titans (0-1) extremely seriously heading into today’s road game at LP Field.

That approach mirrors how the Ravens (1-0) have gone about their business during three seasons under coach John Harbaugh. By not falling prey to overconfidence or slacking on preparation, the Ravens have gone 18-1 against teams with losing records over the past three years.

The only time they fell to a team with a losing record during the Harbaugh era was in the second game of last season when they absorbed a 15-10 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals after opening the season with a big win over the New York Jets.

How does Harbaugh get his football team to avoid taking teams lightly?

“We have smart guys, we have guys who understand that every week in this league you’re playing a very good football team,” Harbaugh said. “Every time we go into one of these games it gets characterized as a ‘letdown game’ are the terms that you guys use that none of our guys are foolish enough to use because it’s just foolishness to put a tag on it like that. It makes no sense at all, so I’m embarrassed for you when you even say that.

“There is no such thing as that in the National Football League. Every game is a challenge. You want to write a story like that, and there is no story because this is the National Football League and the Tennessee Titans are a very good football team who are ready to play us.”

The Titans have lost nine of their past 10 regular-season games, but still have enough viable players to be considered at least somewhat dangerous even though star running back Chris Johnson rushed for only 24 yards on nine carries.

He’s still a former NFL Offensive Player of the Year who gained 2,006 yards two seasons ago and is primed for a featured role today.

The Titans feature an imposing, fast wide receiver in Kenny Britt, who caught five passes for 136 yards with an 80-yard touchdown and another score during the Titans’ 16-14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the season.

And they have an experienced new quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck still getting acclimated to his new surroundings and personnel. Hasselbeck is a bridge player to rookie quarterback Jake Locker.

Former offensive line coach Mike Munchak, a Hall of Fame lineman, is a rookie head coach.

So, what worries Harbaugh about the Titans?

“Well, how long you got? Harbaugh said. “Playmakers on offense is probably the first thing that sticks out, a defense that flies around. Just a very physical, aggressive football team.”

Nonetheless, the Titans didn’t finish 6-10 a year ago by accident.

And the Titans struggled to stop the run a week ago as Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ran roughshod over their banged-up defensive line as Jacksonville gained 163 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, the Ravens piled up 170 rushing yards as Ray Rice rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against the NFL’s top-ranked run defense from last season. The Ravens finished with 385 yards of total offense against Pittsburgh.

“Those are professionals over there, we’ve got to prepare for them,” free safety Ed Reed said. “They had a tight game at Jacksonville last week, and we had a grueling game against our divisional opponent. So, we’re not thinking about that. If we did have a loss, it wouldn’t be a letdown because it’s still a long season. We’re going to be prepared to play this game.”

That’s what concerns the Titans.

They’re squaring off with a tradition-rich defense that established a franchise record by forcing seven turnovers against the Steelers, including a pair of interceptions from Reed.

“They made a statement with the first game, a statement around the league about what kind of defense they plan on having this year,” Hasselbeck said. “The Steelers are a team that everyone knows. They are traditionally physical, but the Ravens just played an amazing game.”

Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs registered three sacks against the Steelers, and franchise defensive tackle Haloti Ngata forced a fumble and recovered two.

“When I turn the film on them, I see how hard they play,” Munchak said. “They got great pressure on the quarterback. Suggs is the guy you always have to watch.

“I thought I saw a similar team as far as being successful with what they do: being physical, playing hard and got the ball back. That’s what aggressive defenses do, and they did it again in a big way this past Sunday.”

One big factor this week is dealing with their unfamiliarity with the Titans, a team they once shared a fierce rivalry with during the old AFC Central days and have split the all-time series 8-8. However, they haven’t played Tennessee since a 13-10 AFC divisional playoff game victory over the Titans during the 2008 season.

A lot has changed for both teams since then. Baltimore has 20 new players and eight new starters from last year.

“That’s definitely an issue,” Harbaugh said. “There’s not a lot of tape out there because you’ve got the preseason games and you’ve got one regular season game with a new head coach and new coordinators on both sides of the ball. The only coordinator that’s still there, really, is the special teams coordinator. So, there’s not much tape to look at right now.”

The Ravens don’t have a history of dwelling on their past games against the Steelers, win or lose.

Following regular-season encounters with Pittsburgh over the past three seasons, the Ravens have won four of six games.

NOTE: The Ravens cut backup inside linebacker Jason Phillips and signed cornerback Danny Gorrer to the active roster from the practice squad.

A former Ravens fifth-round draft pick from Texas Christian, Phillips was inactive for the season-opener after suffering a concussion.

He made the team ahead of linebackers Prescott Burgess and Tavares Gooden.