The Tennessee Titans are coming off another bad loss, falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 10-6, in Week 14
This week, the Titans (3-10) will play the Cincinnati Bengals as head coach Brian Callahan takes on his former team. The Bengals still have an outside shot at the playoffs and are riding a hot quarterback, but Callahan would like nothing more than to pull the upset.
The Titans may be big underdogs, but they have a chance. Here are three reasons to be optimistic they can pull this one out.
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Brian Callahan
Brian Callahan was the offensive coordinator with the Bengals before parlaying that role into his job with the Titans. He not only understands their systems and what they like to do, but he also knows the personnel and ways the Titans can attack their tendencies. While the game comes down to players and execution on the field, this should be a game in which Callahan makes the right calls and puts his players in those positions.
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Bengals defense
Yes, the Titans struggled last week against the 32nd-ranked defense of the Jaguars, but they have a chance this week to go against another woeful defense. While the Bengals have it rolling on offense, their defense is historically bad in some areas and hasn’t stopped anyone. Riding with the Callahan factor, the Titans’ offense should be in a position to have their best performance of 2024.
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Motivation
Earlier in the season, the Titans took on a Houston Texans team that was coming off a big victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. Motivated to win the game for owner Amy Adams Strunk, they pulled the upset on the road. This week, they take on the Bengals, who are coming off a huge win over the Cowboys on Monday Night Football and the Titans will be motivated to win one for head coach Brian Callahan. Coincidence? Possibly, but motivation is a huge factor and the Titans should have that.