The Tennessee Titans host the Cincinnati Bengals at Nissan Stadium this Sunday in Nashville. After losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars at home in Week 14, the Titans will look to prevent the same fate against the Bengals. Unfortunately for the Titans, the Bengals are a much better team than the Jaguars.
Last week, the Titans were favored for just second time this season. This week, they are underdogs, and despite the Bengals being favored by just five points, the likelihood that the gap is bigger is very real.
Heading into this Week 15 matchup, there are several reasons for the Titans to be concerned, but we’ve narrowed it down to three.
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Cincinnati’s high-powered offense will be tough to defend
The Bengals have the top offense in the entire league and it’s not even close. Which is crazy since their record would never indicate that, but Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow have continued to solidify their bond, and it shows on the field. Add in a dynamic back like Chase Brown and this offense becomes incredibly difficult to defend.
The Titans have the top ranked passing defense in the league, but they haven’t faced the likes of Burrow, Chase, and Brown yet. Over the last four games, the Titans have allowed opposing quarterbacks to throw for over 200 yards. Their season average is 175 passing yards per game, so the limited personnel is definitely contributing to fatigue.
They face a true test this week and will likely struggle to contain the Bengals’ skill players. Dennard Wilson will have a plan, he always does. The question is whether it will be effective or not.
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Injuries galore
The Titans continue to deal with a ridiculous number of injuries that limit the personnel they have available for games. With 13 total players on injured reserve, one suspended, and six additional players with injury designations, the Titans have elevated multiple players from the practice squad every week for most of the season.
The biggest injury impacts are with linebackers, cornerbacks and the offensive line. The depth in these areas is almost nonexistent, and it’s only Thursday. The Titans need to play to the best of their ability for an entire 60-minute game, and that’s going to be very difficult without the appropriate personnel.
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How much effort will the Titans show us this week?
The effort the Titans show us each week on the field has been slowly dwindling away with each loss. No one likes to lose, but you will never improve your game if you’re not putting forth 100% effort. Calvin Ridley showed us just how much that can impact a game last week when he failed to run for a first down against the Jaguars. J.C. Latham showed us what happens when that effort leads to a sack and re-injuring Will Levis’ shoulder.
Those mistakes that we’ve seen in the past that are related to effort, those are the things that are breaking this team. Brian Callahan needs to get a hold of it and get the players back to buying in to his scheme and plan for the organization. The amount of effort we see from them this week will directly correlate with the outcome. No one expects the Titans to win, but they can still look like a team when they take a loss.