NFL Week 5 Lines 2011: Things are beginning to tighten up in a wide-open AFC South. With the Indianapolis Colts’ stranglehold of the division loosened up for at least one season, it’s anyone’s game at this point. At the present time, it appears that the AFC South title will go through either Houston or Tennessee, as they occupy the top spot, tied at 3-1 for the season. Get $50 in Free NFL Picks here!
While the Texans will be battling Oakland this weekend, the surging Tennessee Titans [+3] will also be tested, as they travel to Heinz Field to take on the NFL Point Spreads favorites, Pittsburgh Steelers [-3]. This game has a scheduled opening kickoff slated for 1 PM ET and its OVER/UNDER set at a combined total of 39½ points.
The Titans early success can be credited to their first-year quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck, who picked up the slack while Chris Johnson seemed dormant. After his first 4 games in a Titans’ uniform, Hasselbeck has the fourth best quarterback rating in the league at 104.7, only trailing names Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Eli Manning.
That is by far the best QB rating Hasselbeck has ever enjoyed in his 13th year NFL career. His best previous mark came during the 2005 season, as the 3-time Pro Bowler led the Seahawks with a rating of 98.2. That year, 36-year-old vet threw for 3,459 yards and 24 touchdowns, by far his best numbers.
As he begins a new era in the Music City, Hasselbeck looks back at the decision the Seahawks made to let him go as a blessing in disguise. This week, the Titans will get a lot of their questions answered, as far as where they stand in the AFC Playoff picture. Make no mistake, despite all of Pittsburgh’s injuries, that is still a savvy veteran team that knows how to win under any circumstance.
Needless to say that if Hasselbeck and the Titans can walk out of Heinz Field with a victory, it would go a long way from a psychological standpoint. With their Bye Week in the horizon, it’s time to see if Tennessee is for real or if this team will just fade away as the season wears on. This game is way more important to them than it is to the Steelers.
