The Tennessee Titans will take on the Atlanta Falcons at Nissan Stadium in Week 8 in a game that could give us a glimpse into the future of the franchise.
With quarterback Ryan Tannehill unlikely to play, the Titans are reportedly expected to start rookie Will Levis, who will be making his NFL debut after Tennessee took him in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.
There really is no telling how Levis will perform, but even a decent outing by the rookie will give the fan base some much-needed hope for the future as the team prepares to potentially be sellers at the trade deadline, with an eye on 2024 and beyond.
If Levis can show over multiple games that he’s capable of leading this team into the future, it would solve one very big issue for a Titans team that is on the cusp of a rebuild.
Now, the reasons for optimism and concern for the Titans going into Week 8.
Optimism: History of post-bye success
The Titans are coming off a bye this week and history has proven this team is good in such a scenario under head coach Mike Vrabel. Since he took over in 2018, Tennessee is 5-0 in games after a bye week.
Concern: A possible downgrade at QB
The Titans are reportedly expected to start quarterback Will Levis in place of an injured Ryan Tannehill in Week 8, but Vrabel has said both quarterbacks will play and even said alternating them is on the table.
No matter how the Titans handle the quarterback situation, the team will be trotting out inexperienced quarterbacks, one of whom (Levis) will be making his NFL debut. The other (Willis) has struggled when given opportunities.
I hope I’m completely wrong, but whoever starts will likely be a downgrade from Tannehill, which is bad news for an offense that is already struggling.
However, Tennessee could also leave this contest with a ton of optimism if Levis has a competent outing in which he shows flashes of being “the guy”.
Optimism: Falcons' scoring offense
With the Titans’ offense likely to struggle, the last thing this team can afford to be in is a shootout. Thankfully, the Falcons haven’t shown they can score points in bunches.
As bad as the Titans’ offense has been at scoring points (17.3 per game), the Falcons have been even worse, with Atlanta averaging 16.4 points per game.
The biggest issue for Atlanta’s offense has been quarterback play, with second-year signal-caller Desmond Ridder struggling to find consistency.
If Tennessee’s defense can put up a fight, this will be a low-scoring game that even the Titans’ offense will have a chance to win.
Concern: Atlanta's pass-catchers
While Atlanta’s offense has struggled to score points this season, it’s not for a lack of talent, as the team has plenty of weapons through the air that can dominate Tennessee’s suspect secondary.
Not only can the Falcons utilize uber-talented running back Bijan Robinson in the passing game, but they have a slew of other pass-catchers to worry about, a group that includes tight ends Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith, and receiver Drake London.
And, as if all that wasn’t concerning enough, cornerback Roger McCreary’s status is up in the air after suffering a hamstring injury during practice this week.
Optimism and concern: Turnovers
One of the major issues for Ridder has been turnovers, with the Cincinnati product tallying 11 of the team’s 13, a mark that is the fourth-most in the NFL.
The Titans desperately need to capitalize on Ridder’s propensity to turn the ball over, as it would give the offense extra possessions and potentially set Tennessee up with short fields to make life easier.
However, the Titans have turnover concerns of their own. We already know Willis is prone to mistakes, and chances are Levis will make one or more if he makes his NFL debut this week.
Neither defense has been good at creating turnovers, though. The Titans have just five, tied for the fewest in the NFL, and the Falcons have six, tied for the second-fewest in the league.
Concern: Falcons' defense
Not only are the Titans set to deploy a pair of young, inexperienced signal-callers in this game, they’ll do so against a good Falcons defense that ranks ninth in points per game allowed, seventh in passing yards allowed and eighth in rushing yards allowed.
Atlanta’s defense also ranks fifth in the red zone, an area where the Titans have struggled.
The good news for Tennessee’s passing attack and offensive line is that the Falcons’ pass-rush hasn’t been good. Atlanta’s 13 sacks are tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL.
