It’s worth noting that every team that had Week 8 off returned to action and came away with a victory in Week 9. Is that a good omen for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans?
The New York Giants held off the Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints fended off the Cleveland Browns, the Houston Texans rolled the winless Los Angeles Chargers, and the San Francisco 49ers toyed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
So how have the Steelers and Titans fared in their first eight games this season? There have been signs of encouragement for both clubs.
2026 NFL Season: Grades for teams coming off Week 9 bye
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Mike McCarthy’s team got off to a somewhat shaky start. They barely survived the undermanned Atlanta Falcons, and then were rolled in Foxborough by the New England Patriots. They did come back to surprise the favored Cincinnati Bengals at home, then lost on a Thursday night at Cleveland four days later, 27-24.
Since then, the team has rolled off four consecutive victories, and the offensive catalyst has been running back to Jaylen Warren. Combine that with some timely passes from veteran Aaron Rodgers and an offensive line that is coming into its own and you can see the growth of this unit.
Same for the defense under coordinator Patrick Graham. The Steelers rank seventh in the league in fewest total yards allowed per game, and only two teams are giving up fewer yards per game on the ground. The clubs has surrendered just three offensive touchdowns during its current four-game winning streak, compared to eight offensive TDs during its 2-2 start. It’s a team that bears watching the remainder of 2026.
Grade: B+
Tennessee Titans (1-7)
One-time New York Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh is now at the helm of a franchise that has been nothing short of dreadful for the last four-plus seasons. The Titans reached the playoffs three straight years under Mike Vrabel from 2019-21, and were the AFC’s top playoff seed in 2021. However, after winning seven of their first 10 games in 2022, the team is a morbid 13-53 in its last 66 contests.
Hence, Saleh is Tennessee’s fourth head coach (Vrabel, Brian Callahan, and interim Mike McCoy) during that span. The Titans dropped their first five games this season and their offense struggled mightily. But in their last three outings, quarterback Cam Ward has been a much better player and running back Tony Pollard is having a big year.
Coordinator Brian Daboll’s unit has reached the end zone a combined eight times in their last three games, compared to just six offensive TDs during Tennessee’s 0-5 start. However, the Titans’ defense remains porous, and is now minus four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and safety Amani Hooker (tied for the NFL lead with 5 interceptions), are now members of the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills, respectively.
Grade: D+
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