The Tennessee Titans are rich on questions and short on answers on both sides of the ball going into their Week 11 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
We got a glimpse at just about every ill that has plagued the Titans in 2023 during their Week 10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On offense, the team couldn’t protect its rookie quarterback, Will Levis, run-blocking was awful and pass-catchers struggled with drops.
On defense, the Titans were finally stout against the run, but the pass-rush disappeared and the short-handed was burnt for too many big plays.
Things aren’t going to get any easier this week when the Titans meet the first-place Jags, who are coming in extra motivated after an ugly loss to the San Francisco 49ers last week. Making matters worse, the game is on the road.
Here are the six biggest questions the Titans have entering their second divisional matchup of the 2023 campaign.
Can Titans stop failing Will Levis?
The last two games have been rough for Levis, but that’s mostly a result of the team failing him in multiple ways.
On top of shoddy pass protection and run blocking that have put much more pressure on Levis, play-calling has also been an issue.
Of course, the Titans need to do a better job of protecting Levis, especially when the opposing defense sends a blitz. But offensive coordinator Tim Kelly can help out by drawing up plays to get the ball out of his hands quicker and moving the rookie out of the pocket more often.
Levis has shown he can do his part when things are operating smoothly, but the rookie can’t hope to succeed if the team around him isn’t getting the job done in multiple facets.
Who starts at left tackle?
Left tackle remains the biggest concern on offense for the Titans, who could be looking at yet another player getting a crack at the position in Week 11.
Andre Dillard has been awful and his status is up in the air after suffering a concussion, and Dillon Radunz didn’t do much better in his place, with head coach Mike Vrabel even admitting Radunz’s play wasn’t up to snuff.
The next logical step would be to put Peter Skoronski there, as he’s the last hope for a long-term, in-house solution for Tennessee. However, the team remains resistant to that approach.
Vrabel did hint that Jaelyn Duncan could get a shot next, but sending a rookie out there doesn’t exactly instill confidence. Despite that, it’s worth a shot, considering the circumstances.
Will Daniel Brunskill return?
Brunskill has been arguably the team’s best offensive lineman this season, so his absence was certainly felt in Week 10. The Titans deployed Radunz in his spot at right guard, but Andrew Rupcich got the call once Radunz was moved to left tackle in place of an injured Dillard.
Rupcich wasn’t horrible (two pressures, zero sacks), but he certainly wasn’t great, either, and there’s no question he’s a downgrade from Brunskill, something this shaky offensive line can ill afford.
Unless he’s needed at left tackle again, I’d expect Radunz to get the call here if Brunskill can’t go. However, if Radunz is needed on the left side, a more experienced Corey Levin should get the call instead of Rupcich.
Will Sean Murphy-Bunting return?
As is the case with the offensive line, the Titans cannot afford to be short in the secondary, especially when the missing player is arguably the team’s best cornerback, which Murphy-Bunting has been.
Tennessee moved Roger McCreary to the boundary with SMB out, and while Eric Garror played pretty well in coverage in McCreary’s place, the Titans’ secondary has a better chance not to totally stink when at full strength.
Will the pass-rush wake up?
Even if SMB plays, it’s far from a guarantee that the secondary will do its job. The best hope the Titans have is getting a consistent pass-rush, something that has been an issue all season.
Tennessee’s pass-rush was expected to be one of the big strengths of the defense, and while we’ve seen flashes of that, it has disappeared in games more often than, which enabled opposing signal-callers to abuse the team’s vulnerable secondary.
Not only does the front four need to be better, but defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has to figure out ways to get create pressure if the group upfront isn’t taking care of business on its own.
However, that’s a double-edged sword for the Titans, as blitzing more means less help for the defense’s biggest weakness.
Can Titans stop the bleeding on the road?
The Titans are 0-6 away from Nissan Stadium this season and they haven’t won a single road game in a full calendar year, with the last coming in Week 11 of the previous campaign (Nov. 17, 2022). Since that victory, the Titans sport an abysmal 3-13 record.
