The Tennessee Titans have a daunting opponent awaiting them on Monday night in the form of the AFC’s current No. 1 seed, the Miami Dolphins.
This is the type of game that probably got seriously considered to be flexed out of a prime-time slot, but considering how electric and fun to watch the Dolphins’ offense is, it’s easy to understand why it wasn’t.
Miami currently owns the second-most explosive offense in the NFL, averaging a ridiculous 32.0 points per game heading into this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Titans haven’t eclipsed 30 points in a single game since the 2021 campaign, and they’re only averaging 17.8 points per outing this season.
Furthermore, Tennessee hasn’t won a single game away from Nissan Stadium in 387 days and this game takes place on Miami’s home turf.
As you can see, this game is completely lopsided on paper.
Fortunately for the Titans, football isn’t played on paper, so anything can happen. If Tennessee pulls it off, it will legitimately be one of the biggest upsets of the season.
Listed below are the three biggest matchups that the Titans must find a way to win if they want any chance of shocking the world. Let’s find out what they are ahead of Monday night’s showdown.
Titans' secondary vs. WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle
Tyreek Hill has been phenomenal this season. He is on pace to become the first pass-catcher in NFL history to accumulate 2,000 receiving yards in a single season.
The West Alabama product only needs 519 yards over the final five games to accomplish that feat. Through 12 games, Hill has already totaled a league-leading 1,481 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 93 catches that has placed him in the MVP conversation.
The Dolphins receiver has used his blazing speed to eclipse 100 yards in eight of his 12 outings, six of which he topped more than 145 yards. And, unsurprisingly, he’s Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded receiver, earning an overall grade of 93.9 and a receiving grade of 94.2.
To make matters worse for Tennessee’s secondary, the Dolphins also have Jaylen Waddle, who is having another strong season in his own right, totaling 743 yards and three touchdowns on 57 catches.
This week, one of the best receiver duos in the NFL gets to face a Titans secondary that is severely struggling and looks set to be without starting cornerback Kristian Fulton, who will likely be replaced by 2022 UDFA, cornerback Tre Avery.
Tennessee enters Monday’s contest with the 22nd-ranked pass defense, which is allowing an average of 230.8 yards per game through the air.
A week ago, the secondary allowed Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce to carve it up via the deep ball, en route to producing the first 100-yard game of his young career.
Needless to say, having Hill and Waddle on deck is a terrifying thought on a night that could end up being an embarrassment on national television unless the Titans figure something out quickly.
If not, it’s probably safe to assume that Hill and Waddle could have one of the best games of their already amazing seasons by the end of Week 14.
Titans RBs vs. Dolphins’ defensive front
Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears were incredible in Week 13, totaling 208 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns between them, with 177 of those yards coming on the ground.
Unfortunately, this week they’re set to face a much more potent opponent, as the Dolphins enter Week 14 having the eighth-stingiest run defense, only allowing an average of 96.6 yards per contest.
The Titans might catch a break upfront, though, as defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was added to the injury report on Friday and his status is now up in the air. Losing Wilkins would be a blow to Miami’s run defense, as well as their pass-rush.
Even if he doesn’t play, Tennessee’s rushing attack is hardly guaranteed to have success thanks to an offensive line that has been inconsistent all year long.
The good news is, the group upfront is coming off its best game in that area, something that must continue in Week 14 if the Titans want any chance at pulling off the massive upset.
Getting Henry and Spear5s going will not only take pressure off Levis, it will also help the Titans control the clock and keep Miami’s high-powered offense off the field.
WR DeAndre Hopkins vs. CB Jalen Ramsey
This is a marquee individual matchup between two of the most well-known players at their respective positions. Both have once again played at a high level this season, earning overall grades of at least 79.5, per Pro Football Focus.
Despite playing with three different quarterbacks, Hopkins has totaled 774 yards and five touchdowns on 50 receptions, while Ramsey is only allowing 36.3 percent of his targets to be completed (8-of-22) since returning from his knee injury.
This is the type of individual battle that could get chippy as the game goes on. Ramsey is known to chirp, and if things don’t go well for the Titans, it could lead to some frustration from Dhop at some point.
On the contrary, Hopkins has the chance to show the entire country that he is still capable of dominating against one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL on a primetime stage.
Expect to see these two lined up across from one another a ton on Monday, and whoever wins this matchup is likely going to help put their team in a position to leave Monday’s game with a victory.
