On Wednesday morning we learned that the Pittsburgh Steelers-Tennessee Titans game, originally scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, was postponed in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak among Titans players and personnel. On Wednesday afternoon, the Titans added a fourth player to the team’s COVID-19 Reserve list, making a total of nine players and team personnel who have tested positive to date. (That fourth player is outside linebacker Kamalei Correa.)
Finally, on Wednesday evening we learned—via Andrew Marchand of the New York Post—that the league is hoping to reschedule the game for either Monday or Tuesday and that it will be televised nationally on CBS, the same network that was slated to broadcast the game in its originally scheduled time slot.
There are three proposed time slots: Monday at 5 p.m. or Tuesday at 6 or 7 p.m.
The rescheduled Steelers-Titans game is expected to be on national TV on CBS, according to sources.
It will be either on Monday at 5 p.m. or Tuesday at 6 or 7 p.m.
According to Marchand, the NFL prefers to play to the game on Monday, as it’s better for maintaining competitive balance. But CBS would prefer starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, so it’s evening news broadcasts aren’t impacted.
I should add the NFL preference is Monday for competitive balance. For CBS, a 7 pm start would be better as it wouldn’t impact its news programs and it would be a later standalone broadcast window.
On Wednesday Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said he’s not concerned about competitive balance issues that could present themselves after the Titans game. “Not concerned about next week to be honest with you. We live one week at a time. We have an undefeated team that we are scheduled to face at the end of this week so that has been our focus as we prepare today.
“It’s been a normal Wednesday for us,” he added. “Some of the other hypotheticals we choose not to participate in because we try to be singularly, professionally focused in an effort to put our best foot forward when we step into the stadium against the Titans.”
Titans-Steelers on Tuesday Would Conflict with Nashville SC Match
But it’s probably safe to say that Major League Soccer’s Nashville franchise would prefer that the Steelers-Titans game is played on Monday night. ESPN’s Chase McCabe reminds us that Nashville SC has a home game at Nissan Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Specifically, Nashville SC is scheduled to host Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday.
Presumably, the NFL and the Titans have the power to force Nashville SC and Major League Soccer to alter its schedule, as the stadium conflict has barely triggered a mention in media circles.
Of course, if Steelers-Titans is played on Monday it would create a Monday Night Football doubleheader, with the Green Bay Packers (3-0) already scheduled to host the Atlanta Falcons (0-3) at 8:15 ET (ESPN).
Week Four Participation/Injury Reports Delayed
One other consequence of the postponement of the Steelers-Titans game is that both teams have delayed issuing their first participation/injury reports for the week.
From a Steelers perspective, the postponement could conceivably be a difference maker in terms of one or two injured players getting healthy enough to play in the game, including wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who is in concussion protocol. As for fullback Derek Watt (hamstring) and safety/linebacker Marcus Allen (plantar fasciitis), it’s apparently too soon to tell if the extra time will help.
Coach Tomlin said he doesn’t know if pushing the game back will help get Derek Watt or Marcus Allen back quicker.
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Steelers-Titans: TV Network, Possible Game Times Revealed