The Tennessee Titans are set to host the Dallas Cowboys in a primetime showdown on “Thursday Night Football”.
The hype for this game has unfortunately taken a big hit following the odd situation in which the Titans presently find themselves in.
Truth of the matter is, nothing that occurs this week will change the reality that the Titans are on a collision course with the Jacksonville Jaguars to fight for the division on January 8th in Duval.
This has led to the natural discussion regarding whether or not Tennessee should rest several of its starters to get as healthy as possible for the big Week 18 game.
Mike Vrabel and several players hinted that it’s a legitimate possibility some players sit, while also applying the politically correct stance by emphasizing that each player will be ready for whatever the coaching staff decides.
Translation: you probably shouldn’t be expecting to see any notable Titans players that are even the slightest bit banged-up at the moment.
As you would expect, this decision will significantly impact the game’s individual and collective battles.
Therefore, let’s dive right in and take a closer look at three potential matchups that are still expected to take place when the Titans host the Cowboys on Thursday night.
LT Dennis Daley vs. LB Micah Parsons
Simply put, this individual matchup is going to be an absolute disaster in all likelihood.
Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is a bona fide superstar, while Titans left tackle Dennis Daley is arguably the biggest liability at the offensive tackle position in the entire NFL.
Daley’s ineptitude is amplified by the fact that he protects the quarterback’s blindside, which has often led to some brutal shots on quarterback Ryan Tannehill that he never saw coming.
To make matters worse, on top of allowing a league-high 13 sacks, the Titans offensive lineman also owns dismal Pro Football Focus grades in every single category.
The South Carolina product currently has a pass-blocking grade of 42.7, a run-blocking grade of 49.3, and an overall grade that sits at 47.4.
Parsons, on the other hand, is every bit elite, and he has the numbers to back it up. The Penn State legend is tied for sixth in sacks with 13 in total thus far. He’s also tallied a league-leading 79 quarterback pressures this season.
Micah Parsons: 79 pressures this season
Most among all players 🦁 pic.twitter.com/OKQroNQ6D4
— PFF (@PFF) December 26, 2022
On top of all this, according to PFF, Parsons presently owns the second-highest overall grade amongst edge defenders (91.1), the second-highest pass-rush grade (91.6), as well as a grade of 72.5 against the run (27th-highest).
Needless to say, Daley is going to have his hands full on Thursday evening whenever No. 11 lines up across from him.
It would be wise if the Titans gave their struggling lineman a significant amount of help whenever that’s the case, but as we’ve seen in the past, that’s probably not gonna do much either way.
#Titans Dennis Daley gets chip help from Chig but still gives up the sack exactly the same way in back-to back games & both on 3rd down pic.twitter.com/0D68nsWRmX
— Wes on Broadway (@TitansStats) December 19, 2022
Nevertheless, unless Tennessee comes up with some type of unforeseen strategy to slow down Dallas’ dominant defender, this has all the makings of a long evening for the Titans’ tackle.
WR Treylon Burks vs. CB Trevon Diggs
This is going to be a good test for Tennessee’s rookie wide receiver in his second game back after being sidelined for nearly a month with a concussion.
When healthy, Treylon Burks has undoubtedly been one of the bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for Titans wide receivers.
Treylon Burks is a stud 🤩#Titans pic.twitter.com/4yarMlBsGI
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) November 28, 2022
According to PFF, the Arkansas product currently has the fourth-highest overall grade (74.0) among all rookie wide receivers, totaling 359 yards and two touchdowns on 25 receptions through seven full games and two partial contests.
Burks faces the tough task of dueling against one of the better young cornerbacks in the NFL in Trevon Diggs, who is a premiere athlete who possesses arguably the best ball skills of any defensive back in the NFL.
Diggs has recorded an absurd 14 interceptions over his first two seasons, three of which have come this season.
However, the talented cornerback has also been known for occasionally taking reckless chances in order to make a game-changing play.
This leaves him vulnerable to getting beat more than he probably would if he honed in on his fundamentals and technique instead of chasing interceptions.
Nonetheless, there’s no denying the type of playmaking talent the Alabama product possesses. If rookie quarterback Malik Willis is going to pick on Dallas’ ballhawk, he must do so responsibly or pay the consequences.
Look for the two former SEC stars to have their fair share of battles in this one as long as Willis can provide a competent passing attack on Thursday.
Titans’ defensive line vs. Cowboys' offensive line
This is a complicated one because it’s hard to envision the team playing several key members along its banged-up defensive front. The Titans have already begun to hint toward resting several key players on Thursday.
It’s probably a safe bet that Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, and Bud Dupree are among those that are in the conversation to take advantage of this rare late-season opportunity to get their bodies right.
If that’s the case, it’s obviously going to significantly change the effectiveness of Tennessee’s second-ranked run defense.
The Cowboys enter this game with two separate running backs that are each flirting with the 1,000-yard mark on the ground.
Tony Pollard leads the team at the moment with 988 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, while Ezekiel Elliott is right behind him with 829 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns of his own.
Should the Titans decide to rest a good amount of their defense, this could be a fantastic opportunity for the Cowboys’ running backs to fill up the stat sheet.
But the Titans’ biggest concern on defense is defending against the pass, an area where the team has struggled this season, especially of late.
Tennessee’s front must get pressure with three or four to allow the team to drop extra help into coverage and try to limit what is a potent Cowboys passing attack.
However, that will be extremely difficult to do should Autry, Simmons and/or Dupree sit.
Only time will tell how all this plays out, but if the Titans want to get back to a .500 record, they need to win in the trenches to have any shot.
