NASHVILLE – The Titans will face the New England Patriots on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at six things to watch leading up to the contest:
QB Situation
Titans Coach Brian Callahan on Friday didn't name his starting quarterback for Sunday's game. Will Levis has been listed as questionable vs the Patriots because of his right shoulder injury after being limited in practices all week. Mason Rudolph has started the past two games for the Titans, and he'll be prepared to be back in the saddle again this week if the Titans decide to give Levis another week. When Trevor Siemian was declared one of the gameday elevations for Sunday, it pointed to Rudolph being the guy. Rudolph totaled 295 yards (266 pass, 29 rush) and two touchdowns last week against the Lions, and he's thrown for 215-plus yards in each of his two starts this season. The Titans are scoring just 12.0 ppg with Rudolph as the starter, despite averaging 352.5 total yards per game. The Titans are scoring 19.2 ppg game with Levis as the starter (including the Miami game when he was injured in the first half), averaging 253.2 ypg.
Can Calvin Ridley Keep it Going?
Receiver Calvin Ridley racked up a season-high 10 catches for 143 yards last Sunday in Detroit, and the team hopes it's a sign of things to come. Since Week 7, Ridley's 185 receiving yards rank fifth in the NFL. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has scored a touchdown in three straight games, and he had a touchdown in the last meeting against the Patriots. NWI's next catch will be the 100th of his career. The Titans need to make plays for their quarterback. In addition to Ridley and NWI, Tyler Boyd and Jha'Quan Jackson will also be in the mix.
Special Teams
Early in the season, the Titans had issues in punt protection, with blocked punts in back-to-back games to start the year. This past Sunday in Detroit, the Titans had trouble covering punts and kicks, and the Lions racked up 262 return yards in the contest. Special teams coordinator Colt Anderson called last week's performance "unacceptable," while also saying it starts with him to get it fixed. Can the Titans finally get things cleaned up on special teams? The team certainly needs to find a way to be better here.
Protection Plan
The quarterback was under siege at the start of the year, as Levis was sacked 15 times over the first three games of the season. This unit has settled down of late, despite some shuffling on the right side of the line. In the past four games, the Titans have allowed just five sacks, which is tied for the league-best for fewest sacks during that time. Leroy Watson IV started against last week at right tackle, and with Dillon Radunz now banged up (he missed practices all week with a foot injury), Daniel Brunskill figures to be in line to replace him at right guard if he's ruled out. This group needs to keep getting better.
Defense
The Titans are ranked No.1 in the NFL in total defense, allowing 264.4 yards per game. Yet the team is tied for 29th in the NFL in points allowed, surrendering 28.0 points per game. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson talked this week about the need for the defense to be more suffocating. They'll face a Patriots team ranked 32nd in the NFL in average yards per game (260.0), but 29th (15.5) in scoring.
Importance of Week 9
The Titans are now 1-6. On Sunday, they're a 3 ½ point favorite against the Patriots. Here's how the odds change based on Sunday's result: Since 1990, teams starting 2-6 have made the playoffs 1.6% (2/129) of the time, won the division 1.6% (2/129) of the time and won a Super Bowl 0.0% (0/129) of the time. The playoff percentage for teams that started 1-7: 0.0% (0/64) went on to make the playoffs, 0.0% (0/64) went on to win the division, and 0.0% (0/64) went on to win the Super Bowl. This category is about to disappear from Six Things to Watch if things don't change.
