2009 NFL Season is Underway as the Steeler Win in OT!

Millions of fans have waited eagerly over the past eight months, but the NFL regular season is finally rolling! The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the season in western Pennsylvania last night and there is a full slate of NFL games this Sunday, plus two on Monday night.

For the inaugural '09 game, the Steelers hosted Tennessee at Heinz field and the hometown fans were able to see their team emerge with a 13 - 10 overtime victory.

The game's first half proved to be a defensive battle, until Pittsburgh's Santonio Holmes caught a 34-yard touchdown pass with one minute and twenty-two seconds remaining before halftime. Holmes was the last person to catch a touchdown pass in the previous season, when he hauled one in with less than a minute remaining in the game to beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

After the ensuing kickoff, Tennessee needed just three plays to answer when Kerry Collins connected with Justin Gage for a 14-yard touchdown strike.

The two second quarter touchdown passes by the opposing teams constituted the only touchdowns in the game. The other scores came via one field goal for the Titans and two for Pittsburgh, including Jeff Reed's 33-yarder in overtime.

The second half of the game followed the tone of the first half and the two defenses look as though they will be among the league's finest yet again this season.

The win did not come without any cost for the Pittsburgh Steelers, however, as perennial Pro-Bowl safety Troy Polamalu sprained his left knee's MCL. Early reports have Polamalu returning roughly halfway through the season, but the team is going to wait and see what the diagnostics are for his knee injury.

Before leaving the game just before halftime, Troy Polamalu had six tackles and an incredible one-handed interception. The announcers on NBC were already writing him in for this seasons Pro Bowl game, as he was looking especially impressive.

The Titans and Steelers were two of the top AFC teams last season, with Pittsburgh ultimately emerging as the Super Bowl Champions.

These two teams have several similarities which contributed towards their respective successful '08 seasons. Both Tennessee and Pittsburgh developed reputations with their stout defenses, exceptional ball control, and masterful coaching.

The Steelers are coached by Mike Tomlin, who has an impressive 22 -10 win/loss record during his first two seasons with the team. In his second year with the club, Tomlin took the Steelers to the Super Bowl and defeated the Arizona Cardinals.

Coaching the Tennessee Titans is Jeff Fisher, now in his sixteenth season with the team. During the previous fifteen seasons, Fisher had compiled a 133 - 108 record. He is the longest-tenured current coach to remain with one team.

This game signifies the official start of the 2009 NFL season and the wait is now over for millions of football fans. Game on!