NASHVILLE – The Titans will face the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit.
Here's a look at six things to watch leading up to the contest:
Mason Rudolph Encore
With quarterback Will Levis still recovering from his right shoulder injury, Coach Brian Callahan indicated early in the week the team planned to get Mason Rudolph ready for his second straight start on Sunday against the Lions. Rudolph was 25-of-40 for 215 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Bills last week, but he also mishandled a snap that led to a turnover. On Sunday, the Titans need Rudolph to play close to mistake-free football, because the Titans can't afford to make things harder on themselves.
Who Steps Up at WR?
In the past two weeks, the Titans have said goodbye to DeAndre Hopkins (traded) and Treylon Burks (injury), and it's left the receiving corps thinner. So, who is going to rise to the occasion, and make plays for this team on a consistent basis? Calvin Ridley is supposed to be that guy, but for one reason or another, it hasn't happened nearly as much as everyone would like – Ridley has just 12 receptions on 36 targets. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has touchdowns in back-to-back games, and Tyler Boyd are ready to do more, but others will be in the mix as well.
Run the Ball
Running back Tony Pollard has been one of the bright spots on the team. He's a violent and physical runner who leads the team with 400 rush yards and three touchdowns in 2024, and he leads all players in yards after contact. How's this for a sobering stat: Pollard is last in the NFL in yards before contact. It's a sign blocking in front of him needs to improve. If the Titans are going to give themselves much of a chance on Sunday, they're going to need to be able to run the ball with success.
More O-Line Shuffling
Nicholas Petit-Frere was initially in at right tackle, but then out. Leroy Watson IV took his spot in the starting lineup, if just for a week. Then Jaelyn Duncan got his chance, only to suffer a hamstring injury last week. So, who will be the starter at right tackle this week? Callahan said the plan is for Watson to start, while John Ojukwu will also be in the mix. Earlier in the week, the Titans added Isaiah Prince to the practice squad. Callahan acknowledged this week the Titans have had a problem at right tackle. The team needs to fix it.
Defense Needs Stops
A week after facing the high-flying Bills, the Titans defense faces its biggest challenge to date in the red-hot Lions, led by quarterback Jared Goff. Goff has a passer rating of 140-plus in his last three games, which makes him just the fourth QB in the Super Bowl era to accomplish that feat. Goff leads all QBs with a 125.7 rating, and he has a perfect passer rating under pressure in his last three games. The Lions lead the NFL by averaging 30.3 ppg, and they have more offensive TDs (18) than incompletions (16) in their last four games. So, how do the Titans, who didn't force a second-half punt last week, slow the Lions down? That's a big question, considering the Lions have talent all over the field.
Importance of Week 8
The Titans are now 1-5, and an 11-point underdog against the Lions. Let's face it: Things are looking bleaker by the week around here, so the Titans desperately need to find a way to win this game. Here's how the odds change based on Sunday's result: Since 1990, teams starting 2-5 have made the playoffs 6.5% (11/168) of the time, won the division 3.0% (5/168) of the time and won a Super Bowl 0.0% (0/168) of the time. The playoff percentage for teams that started 1-6: 0.0% (0/187) went on to make the playoffs, 0.0% (0/187) went on to win the division, and 0.0% (0/187) went on to win the Super Bowl. This category is about to disappear from Six Things to Watch if things don't change.
