The Tennessee Titans (6-3) are set to face the Green Bay Packers (4-6) in a Thursday night showdown between two perennial playoff teams. This is a massive game on the schedule for both teams for very different reasons.
For the Titans, they need to prove they’re capable of beating a high-caliber football team. A loss later on tonight and you can be sure that the skepticism surrounding the Titans will only grow as the narrative going forward will become they only beat the bad teams on their schedule.
As for the Packers, they desperately need a win just to keep their diminishing playoff hopes alive. It would be extremely difficult for Green Bay to claw out of a 4-7 hole, even with a future Hall-of-Famer under center.
Needless to say, the Packers are going to do everything possible to prevent that from happening.
It definitely won’t be easy. This game just feels like it’s going to be a four-quarter dogfight between one team that’s trying to establish itself as a legitimate contender, and another that is a desperate football team.
Nevertheless, this Titans team is more than capable of going on the road and winning this type of game. To do so, Tennessee will have to make sure it doesn’t fall flat when it comes to the following three key matchups.
Titans’ run defense vs. Packers RBs
You could make a strong argument that the Titans’ biggest key to victory is to make Green Bay’s offense one-dimensional by taking away the Packers’ potent ground game.
The duo of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon have combined for 1,192 rushing yards. Jones in particular has been their most consistent weapon on offense.
The El Paso native has already accounted for nearly 1,000 total yards after 10 games. Jones is a spectacular athlete who is more than capable of taking over a game at any moment.
Fortunately, this Titans team is well-equipped to limit the Packers’ ground game. They currently rank as the second-best run defense in the NFL after only allowing an average of 85.1 rushing yards per game
Titans’ pass-rush vs. Packers’ OL and Aaron Rodgers
In order for the Titans to win this game, their tenacious pass-rush has to take over. Tennessee needs to make Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable all day long, otherwise it could be a long day.
Make no mistake about it, just because this season hasn’t gone as planned thus far doesn’t mean the Packers aren’t capable of turning their season around.
As long as they have Rodgers under center, Green Bay will always deserve respect as a formidable opponent.
Last weekend, the Packers proved they still had some fight in them. Rodgers led the team to an overtime win over the Cowboys with his 224 yards and three-touchdown performance.
Now, Green Bay has another chance to make a statement in front of a national audience. This type of game has classic A-Rod performance written all over it if the Titans’ pass-rush doesn’t impact the game.
Last weekend alone the Titans produced a whopping 40 pressures despite not having Bud Dupree or Simmons in the lineup. In fact, they have accounted for a total of 77 pressures as a team over their last two games (most in the NFL).
There’s also a good chance that the Packers’ offensive line may be short-handed tonight, which is something that’s obviously less than ideal against Tennessee’s defensive front.
Both left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins are considered questionable for the Packers later on tonight.
Nonetheless, Rodgers is a very cerebral quarterback, so it will be difficult for the Titans to take advantage of him the way they have previous opponents.
Expect the Cal Product to make a valiant effort to get the ball out quickly in this one. Also, don’t be surprised to see him attempt to take advantage of the Titans’ aggressiveness in the form of hard counts to draw defenders offside.
However, it should go without saying that the Titans’ pas- rush is an entirely different task for opposing offenses right now.
If the Titans’ defense makes its presence felt throughout this one, Tennessee should be able to leave Lambeau field with a 7-3 record by evening’s end. If not, expect the back-to-back league MVP to give his team better than a puncher’s chance in this one.
Derrick Henry vs. Packers' run defense
After coming off his least productive outing since Week 2, Derrick Henry is seeking a bounce-back game in front of a national audience.
The King is set to face Green Bay’s 26th-ranked run defense, which is allowing an average of 140.6 rushing yards per game.
It was just a week ago that the Packers allowed Cowboys running back Tony Pollard to carve them up for over five yards per carry on his way to a 115-yard performance.
This game is also expected to feature freezing temperatures that will only amplify the pain anytime a defender tries to stop the Titans’ mammoth running back.
For the Titans to win on Thursday, Tennessee must take advantage of this favorable matchup and establish dominance in the run game. Once they do that, this will also open things up for the Titans’ play-action attack.
After Henry gets going, it’s inevitably going to force the Packers’ defenders to bite on every play fake, as they will have to respect the All-Pro’s presence.
As soon as the threat is fully established, this should also give the Titans pass-catchers some favorable opportunities to take advantage of as well.
