The Tennessee Titans (7-8) play their final home game of the regular season this week, hosting the Dallas Cowboys (11-4) on Thursday Night Football. Kickoff at Nissan Stadium (capacity 69,143) is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CST on Dec. 29.
For the first time in franchise history, the Titans will be playing their second game of the season on Thursday night. On Nov. 17, they visited the Green Bay Packers in a Thursday primetime game and won the contest by a final score of 27-17.
This will be the Cowboys' first trip to Tennessee since 2014 and their fourth total appearance at Nissan Stadium, which opened in 1999. The Titans won the most recent meeting at Dallas in 2018 by a final score of 28-14.
THE BROADCAST
The contest will be streamed on Prime Video. In Nashville, fans can watch over the air on WTVF NewsChannel 5. The broadcast team includes play-by-play announcer Al Michaels, analyst Kirk Herbstreit and reporter Kaylee Hartung.
On phones and tablets, the newly-launched NFL+ subscription service offers access to all local games and all primetime games, live local and national audio for every NFL game, and more.
The Titans Radio Network and Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone carry all Titans games across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, analyst Dave McGinnis, sideline reporter Amie Wells and gameday host Rhett Bryan.
Additionally, Westwood One Sports will broadcast the game to a national radio audience. Play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle and analyst Joe Thomas have the call.
TITANS LOOKING FOR WIN IN SHORT WEEK
The Titans hosted the Houston Texans last Saturday afternoon, trying to end a four-game losing streak and remain atop the AFC South division. However, the Texans erased a fourth-quarter deficit and scored the go-ahead points with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. Two subsequent interceptions ended the Titans' chances, and the Texans left Nashville with a 19-14 win and their second victory of the season.
Titans running back Derrick Henry produced his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season, gaining 126 yards on 23 carries, including a 48-yard touchdown run. He ranks second in the NFL this season in rushing yards (1,429), second in scrimmage yards (1,808) and tied for second in rushing touchdowns (13).
Quarterback Malik Willis, making his third career start in place of Ryan Tannehill (ankle injury), reached the end zone against Houston on a 14-yard run, giving him his first career touchdown.
The loss gave the Titans an identical record to the surging 7-8 Jacksonville Jaguars, who took over first place in the division due to Jacksonville's head-to-head victory on Dec. 11. The Jaguars go on the road this week to Houston (Jan. 1) and then host the Titans in the regular-season finale on either Jan. 7 or 8. No matter what happens this week, the AFC South champion will be determined in Week 18.
THE COWBOYS
The Cowboys enter the week in second place in the NFC East, having already clinched a playoff spot. They stayed alive in the division race with a 40-34 home victory over the Philadelphia Eagles last week. At 11-4, Dallas needs two victories plus two losses by the 13-2 Eagles in order to claim the NFC East crown on a tiebreaker.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has started 10 games in his seventh NFL season. Despite missing five contests in the first half of the season due to injury, he has passed for 2,450 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions (97.2 passer rating). Against the Eagles, he threw for 347 yards and three scores and added 41 rushing yards.
The Cowboys are shooting for their second consecutive division title under head coach Mike McCarthy, who is in his third campaign with the Cowboys after previously spending 13 seasons as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Under McCarthy, the Cowboys had seven total players named to the Pro Bowl this year, which tied for the second-most selections in the NFL.
