FanHouse Troy Polamalu

The Steelers are 1-2, without Troy Polamalu, and face a huge test against the Chargers on Sunday night. The biggest story line heading into the weekend? Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers' offensive line headlining a WWE Raw (!) event Monday night.

Evidently, there are concerns that Big Ben and his five fat friends aren't taking their day jobs seriously. Because everyone knows that true professionals think about football every waking moment.

In any event, left tackle Max Starks isn't worried. Via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Given that Chicago drew a road game at Green Bay and a visit from the defending Super Bowl Champion Steelers to start the season, an 0-2 start would be neither totally unexpected nor disastrous to the Bears' playoff hopes.

But try to telling that to the Windy City faithful.

After new quarterback Jay Cutler bumbled his way to four interceptions in a 21-15 loss at Lambeau last week, Chicago finds itself under the gun already. With Pittsburgh in for the Bears' home opener Sunday, Cutler needs to bounce back -- or he'll find himself getting picked apart by the Steelers' aggressive defense, even without injured Troy Polamalu in the lineup.

When I started studying the Steelers' offensive line in 2006, it sprung from a lot of frustration. Week after week, you heard TV announcers talking about the Steelers' dominating line and its smash-mouth running attack. But as I watched, I saw Sean Mahan being driven backwards play after play, Max Starks struggling to block speed rushers and Kendall Simmons looking much weaker than his reputation.

It's taken four years, but these days it's hard to find any NFL fan who isn't aware that the Steelers' offensive line is one of the biggest stumbling blocks that could keep Pittsburgh from defending its Super Bowl title. That's progress I guess. Nowadays if I write that Max Starks sometimes struggles with speed rushes, or that Chris Kemoeatu sometimes seems lost, I'm telling everyone what they already know.

The Steelers survived their season-opener after losing Troy Polamalu to injury. They're going to have to figure out how to live without their superstar safety for a bit longer.

Polamalu confirmed reports that he suffered a sprained left MCL in Pittsburgh's Week 1 win over Tennessee last Thursday, and told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he will miss three-to-six weeks.

"Regarding a knee injury, this is the best-case scenario," Polamalu said Monday.

PITTSBURGH -- He stood behind a podium dressed in a collared shirt with blue jeans. Kerry Collins, the Titans quarterback, looked more like a country singer talking about an album that just isn't selling well.

Collins, instead, was talking about missed opportunities following a 13-10 overtime loss to the Steelers Thursday night.

"Yeah, it was a shame," Collins said. "We let that one get away. But on the road, against a good football team, if you make the mistakes we made, you're going to lose more ball games than you win. So it's disappointing. It's one of those things where you have to learn from it and move on."

If you're a football fan (and who isn't), you were treated to an excellent first game of the season. We saw everything from blocked field-goals to a last-minute fumble, and you have to love any first game decided in overtime. If you're a fantasy football fan, however, there were a few things to like about Thursday's clash (Kenny Britt and Ben Roethlisberger, for example), and several things to hate. Since we have to wait a couple days for more pro football, let's analyze (and potentially over-analyze) the Tennessee-Pittsburgh game.

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers won the Super Bowl last season, thanks in part to their poise while handling a difficult regular-season schedule.

In 2008, Pittsburgh played against seven playoff teams -- a grind that helped them prepare for the postseason. The Steelers celebrated that postseason on Thursday night, dropping a huge championship banner behind one of the Heinz Field goal posts before they took on Tennessee in the NFL's season opener.

The fans went crazy, but their team strolled onto the field as if that Super Bowl title never existed. There would be no ring ceremony. There would be no marching the Lombardi Trophy around at midfield.

Last year was last year, and if the Steelers are going to repeat, they have to play it cool.

PITTSBURGH -- Five-time Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu was not seen in the Steelers locker room after their overtime victory over the Titans on Thursday night, because he was busy getting treatment on a sprained MCL in his left knee.

Polamalu was injured late in the first half when the Steelers' Aaron Smith blocked Titans kicker Rob Bironas on a 31-yard field goal attempt. In a pileup for the loose ball, at least one player landed on Polamalu's left leg as he did the splits, causing his knee to buckle. He left the field on his own power but didn't return to the game and wasn't on the sideline the entire second half.

Polamalu will undergo further tests on Friday to determine long-term damage.