The Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers will square off in Week 12 in a game between two teams who have been among the most inept in the NFL.
Tennessee sports a 3-7 record and has lost five of its last six games, with all of those losses coming away from Nissan Stadium. Thankfully, this one is in Nashville, where the Titans are 3-0 this season.
Meanwhile, the Panthers have the league’s worst record at 1-9, with their only victory coming in Week 8 against the Houston Texans.
This game will also feature two young quarterbacks who were drafted in 2023 in Will Levis and Bryce Young. Both players have been victims of protection issues, but Levis has shown some flashes while Young’s year remains a major disappointment.
With the Titans being a hot mess right now, there are no shortage of questions going into Week 12. We’ve sorted through the garbage to provide the six biggest going into this contest.
Who starts at left tackle?
Based on comments by head coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday, we already know that Dillon Radunz is moving to right tackle, which leaves a spot vacant at left tackle.
Vrabel revealed that rookie Jaelyn Duncan is in the running to get the nod there, but he also named Andre Dillard as an option for Levis’ blindside.
It’s safe to say the vast majority, if not all Titans fans want nothing to do with Dillard anymore after he’s been the worst of the bunch on an offensive line that absolutely stinks.
Adding more fuel to the fire, Duncan actually played relatively well in relief of Chris Hubbard in Week 11, with the Maryland product not giving up a single pressure or sack in 25 snaps (12 pass-blocking snaps).
Now, this is not to say that Duncan is definitely better than Dillard, even though most players are. However, the Titans need to see that is the case first before opting to go with the veteran over the rookie, who actually has a shot to be in the team’s long-term plans.
The approach should be Radunz at left tackle and Duncan on the right side, but don’t be surprised to see Dillard out there in Week 12.
Can Titans protect Will Levis?
Piggybacking off the last question, no matter who is at left tackle, the Titans MUST do a better job of protecting Levis. Over the last three weeks, Levis has been pressured an astounding 57 times, which has totally halted his momentum after an impressive debut in Week 8.
The Panthers sport one of the worst pass-rushes in the NFL, with the unit tallying the second-fewest sacks (17). But, lest we forget, this Titans offensive line is capable of making any team’s pass-rush look elite.
Panthers EDGE Brian Burns is the team’s best pass-rusher with five sacks on the season. Interior defensive lineman Derrick Brown is another concern.
Can Titans get the ground game going?
As bad as the passing attack has been in recent weeks, the ground game has been just as disappointing, with the offensive line’s poor play once again being the culprit. As a result, it has put more pressure on Levis.
After breaking the century mark in Week 8, Derrick Henry has just 137 yards over the last three games. In Week 11, he had just 38, which was tied with wide receiver Chris Moore for the most on the team.
Henry and Tyjae Spears find themselves in a good bounce-back spot in Week 12 against a Panthers defense that ranks bottom 10 against the run. However, as is the case with opposing pass-rushes, this offensive line can make even a lackluster run defense like Carolina’s look good.
Will Sean Murphy-Bunting play?
The only hope for the secondary to even be serviceable without a good pass-rush (more on that shortly) is for the unit to be at full strength, something that hasn’t been the case the last two weeks thanks to an injury to Murphy-Bunting, who is also the team’s best cornerback.
SMB had thumb surgery following Week 9 and hasn’t played since. The good news is, he’s trending toward returning this week, per head coach Mike Vrabel.
With SMB out, the Titans have had to deploy Roger McCreary on the outside, which hasn’t exactly worked out. Making matters worse, Kristian Fulton has reverted back to being a liability after seemingly turning the corner a few weeks ago.
Having SMB back not only gives Tennessee its best corner back, it also moves McCreary back to where he’s been better. In addition, the Titans can better cover for Fulton if he gets benched again.
Will the pass-rush have a pulse?
The potential return of SMB is all well and good, but we know that is hardly enough to fix the you-know-what show that has been the secondary this season.
The only way for Tennessee’s pass defense to have a chance is for the pass-rush to step up. Sadly, the unit has been unable to do that more often than, especially over the last three weeks.
In Week 11, the Titans mustered up just one sack and two QB hits. The sack came from safety Terrell Edmunds after he ran Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of bounds.
This is a great get-right spot, though, with Carolina’s offensive line giving up the fourth-most sacks (39) in the NFL. However, after Tennessee’s pass-rush hasn’t had a pulse recently, it’s far from a guarantee that the group will take advantage.
Will a loss lead to firings?
There are losses like the ones the Titans have had in recent weeks, and then there are losses like the one Tennessee is potentially facing in Week 12.
The Panthers sport the league’s worst record, so losing in any fashion to Carolina will be particularly ugly for Tennessee. But the Titans can also exacerbate a loss if they get blown out again, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility for this team.
But barring a request from ownership, I just don’t see Vrabel, who is fiercely loyal to his guys, letting anyone go, even if Tennessee hits rock bottom on Sunday. And I don’t think Vrabel would be fired under any circumstance.
