Entering the 2008 NFL season, the Steelers offensive line was supposed to be the one thing that would hold Pittsburgh back from being a Super Bowl contender.

But towards the end of the year the line gelled and while it still had issues run-blocking, the five starters became a cohesive unit and that became one of the big reasons the Steelers won their second title in four years.

Coming into this season, the offensive line wasn’t viewed as a strength, but it certainly wasn’t a weakness after the unit came together last year. Also, with former first round pick Rashard Mendenhall coming back, he would help keep Willie Parker fresh and the pair would form a nice 1-2 punch in Pittsburgh’s backfield.

But after watching the Steelers struggle once again to run the football in their 13-10 overtime win over the Titans on Thursday night, it appears that Pittsburgh still has issues moving the ball on the ground.

The Steelers’ running game ranked 23rd last year and Pittsburgh did nothing on Thursday night to quiet the concern that it will be more efficient in that area this season. Tennessee’s run defense is good (even without Albert Haynesworth commanding double-teams from his DT position), but Pittsburgh managed just 36 yards on the ground for a paltry 1.6 YPC-average. That’s brutal – I don’t care if they were playing against a concrete wall on every play.

The Steelers running game was non-existent and even when they would break off a decent run, one of the linemen would get a penalty to kill the play. And when the Steelers needed to pick up a huge third down inside Tennessee’s 10-yard line late in the fourth quarter, Mewelde Moore found zero running room and was shut down for no gain.

The Steelers wound up winning the Super Bowl last year without a running game, but that was an aberration. Teams usually have to run the ball to have success and while Pittsburgh’s passing game looked great at times again on Thursday night, one would think that their lack of a running game will eventually cost them.

The Steelers used to run the ball at will – now they rely on the pass to get them out of jams. How long can they keep winning that way, great defense or not?

Quick-Hitters:

- Even great veterans make mistakes from time to time. Hines Ward knows better – he never saw Michael Griffin and he’s lucky his fumble didn’t wind up costing the Steelers a win. (Although his hit on the Tennessee DB in overtime was nasty.)

- The Steelers’ defense did a great job of not giving in during the second half without safety Troy Polamalu, who hurt his knee in the second quarter and didn’t return. Hopefully Polamalu’s injury isn’t serious – fans deserve to see that guy play every week. (How amazing was his one-handed interception in the first quarter?)

The highly anticipated first game of the NFL season is tonight at 7:30 p.m. as the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers host the Titans at Heinz Field. Here are five things to watch as the 2009 NFL season kicks off with this opening matchup.

1. The Steeler offensive line.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger admitted that Pittsburgh became a Super Bowl contender last year when the offensive line gelled late in the season. What was supposed to be an Achilles heel for the Steelers actually turned out to be the thing that lifted them to a Super Bowl title. Now Pittsburgh has one of the more cohesive offensive lines in the league and while no one player stands out, the entire unit works well together and it’ll be interesting to see if they pick up tonight where they left off last February in Tampa.

2. How will the Titans fare without Albert Haynesworth?
Haynesworth was the key cog in Tennessee’s defense the past couple years while commanding double teams and freeing up those around him to make plays. In steps Tony Brown, a player coming off a great ’09 season and one that must fill the massive shoes left by Haynesworth. Brown is more than capable as an interior pass-rusher, but he probably won’t command double-teams like Haynesworth did. How will his linemates Jevon Kearse, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jason Jones fare now that they might not see one-on-one matchups like they did when Haynesworth was playing next to them?

3. Do the Titans still lack offensive playmakers?
Running back Chris Johnson burst on the scene last year as a rookie, averaging 4.9 yards a carry and totaling 10 touchdowns (9 on the ground, 1 through the air). But it was clear in Tennessee’s loss to Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Round that the Titans lacked offensive playmakers. So they signed former Steeler Nate Washington and drafted Kenny Britt in the first round to give their receiving corps a boost. Will it be enough? We won’t find out about Washington tonight as he continues to battle an injured hamstring, but Britt practiced with the starting offense all week and will get an opportunity to play. Although he lacks elite speed, Britt was a monster after the catch while playing at Rutgers and could give quarterback Kerry Collins a nice weapon tonight in the passing game.

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