Game Notes | NFL Opener: Titans @ Steelers

This Black Eyed Peas opening couldn't be more lame. What's up with the goons in black and white stripes with hoods? Just awful. The audience just let out a collective yawn -- except for the people up front being paid to half-heartedly waive their arms. Hideous. I guess it says a lot about the state of pop music.

Anyway, great to have NFL action back. Nate Washington is playing, but Kenny Britt is starting. Lawrence Timmons is out, which is relatively good news for Chris Johnson. Hot-shot rookie TE Jared Cook (ankle) is inactive for the Titans.

After much hemming and hawing, I just pulled Chris Johnson out of the starting lineup in my long-time Full Contact League. S-Jax was a given, and I went with Brian Westbrook at a beaten up Carolina defense over Johnson at Pittsburgh. Still have Johnson going in two redraft leagues, and I expect quite a few dumpoffs tonight.

The "Joystick," Stefan Logan of the CFL, takes it back 40 yards on the opening kick return. Love this guy. He reminds me of Dante Hall, making the Steelers D/ST an even stronger fantasy asset.

Big Ben pump fake on 3rd & 8 but Hines Ward breaks the wrong way and the throw one-hops an open Mike Wallace. Nice for Steelers fans to have Daniel Sepulveda back to solve punting woes.

Chris Johnson runs into the line and gets nothing. Polamalu stops him cold on third down too. Nothing doing early on.

Quick WR screen to Santonio Holmes. Another inside run to FWP goes nowhere, but Heath Miller gets 8 yards on an inside TE screen. Big Ben escapes a sack once, but Jason Jones finally gets him down.

Chris Johnson cuts back and picks up 32 yards gliding to the outside. Tack on another 15 yards for the late hit by Polamalu. Collins finds Scaife wide open for 20 yards, and the Titans are knocking on red zone territory. Big ol' fat Alge Crumpler has a bad drop, and now it's 3rd & 7. Polamalu all over Scaife, and it's My Bironas! time. Bironas, one of the best kickers in the game, pushes it right for a 37-yard miss. Ooooof.

Mendenhall mistimes the handoff and runs right into Big Ben. Work intervenes.

Polamalu with an unbelievable leaping left-handed snag on a Kerry Collins bomb attempt.

Ok, finally back after missing a few drives and zero points. Johnson has a nice blitz pickup on Farrior, and the Titans get the first-down. Johnson stays in inside the 15-yard line, but Titans go nowhere. Collins can't find Gage in end zone, so Bironas is back. This time his 31-yard attempt is blocked. Still 0-0. That was just Bironas second blocked attempt in his career.

Big play (29 yards) to Hines Ward wide open over the middle. Pump fake and Big Ben finds Santonio Holmes 34 yards in the end zone. 7-0 Steelers. Chris Hope was beaten twice on pump fakes by Big Ben.

Collins finds Kenny Britt wide open for a 57-yard catch and run, and the Titans have the ball in scoring position. Safety Ryan Clark bit on Collins' pump fake. Collins comes right back to find Gage in the end zone for tying score. Polamalu (knee) and Lamarr Woodley (cramps) both missed that drive.

Big Ben comes back and hits Heath Miller twice and then Hines Ward. Less than 20 seconds, and the Steelers need about 10-15 yards for field goal territory. William Hayes gets to Big Ben for the sack at mid-field. Roethlisberger has Hail Mary intercepted, with Finnegan bringing it back 70 yards. Time runs out and we're at the half.

Apologies. Real life calling, so I'm lax on second half updates.