Titans - Steelers: 5 players to watch on NFL Thursday Night Football | Will Levis, DeAndre Hopkins, Derrick Henry

Despite the fact that the Steelers have a slightly better record than the Titans coming into their Week 9 clash, the reality is they will need to bring their A-game if they are to get the better of a team that’s coming off an impressive home win against the Falcons.

Who are five players to watch in Titans vs Steelers?

Cameron Heyward

Steelers fans have had to wait some time for Cameron Heyward to fully recover, but alas, it finally seems to be the case. On Wednesday, he was a full participant in practice, meaning that the team is about to get both a mental and physical boost in confidence. It goes without saying that the 34-year-old defensive lineman will be key in limiting the yardage of the Titans’ running back, Derrick Henry.

Kenny Pickett

Following what appeared to be a Week 8 rib injury, there were doubts as to whether Kenny Pickett would even be able to face the Titans in Week 9. After telling the media on Thursday that he would be on the field, those doubts now seem to have been laid to rest. Truth be told, it’s probably for the best after backup Mitchell Trubisky threw two costly interceptions in a game that the Steelers ended up losing. Look for Pickett to turn up the volume on Thursday night as he will know the team can’t afford another loss here and now.

Will Levis

If you caught the Titans’ win against the Falcons, then there’s no way that you didn’t notice Will Levis’ debut under center. Indeed, the entire nation did as he threw four touchdown passes on the night. It goes without saying that the Steelers faithful will be hoping it wasn’t simply a lucky night as starter Ryan Tannehill is set to miss yet another game through injury.

DeAndre Hopkins

Though he’s been listed as questionable, the word is that DeAndre Hopkins will in fact be on the field on Thursday night. Assuming that’s the case, there’s no way to understate the boost that the future Hall of Famer will give his team. Not only is he on his way to yet another 1000-yard season, but he’s been averaging 16.3 yards per catch while doing so. If the Steelers are to have any chance of getting a positive result, it will fall heavily on their ability to contain Hopkins. Of course, the Titans possess another game-changing player who we are about to touch on.

Derrick Henry

As mentioned above, Titans running back Derrick Henry is a player who can take over games. “King” Henry as he is often called is quite simply one of the toughest RBs in NFL history. Again if the Steelers are to have a shot at a result it will be tied almost exclusively to the idea of stopping Henry’s runs, something that has proven nearly impossible for most who have tried.