The Tennessee Titans will host the Oakland Raiders at high Noon on Sunday (9/10/17), as the NFL season kicks off in Nashville. There’s been plenty of hype surrounding the Titans all offseason after the team surged to an overachieving 9-7 record. It’s hard to argue with the results, as they defeated several playoff teams last season including the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Houston Texans. But, they also inexplicably dropped a game in Jacksonville on Christmas Eve that cost them the AFC South title and still haven’t been able to break the curse of the Indianapolis Colts.
There’s plenty of work to be done, but general manager Jon Robinson reloaded at positions of need. The resulting hype train has Nashville buzzing. That said, there’s still plenty of mystery across this Titans team. Who’s worth keeping an eye on against the Raiders?
Titans to watch
The Secondary – LeShaun Sims is currently day to day with a groin injury, which muddies the waters a bit at cornerback. If he’s healthy, he’ll be the starter opposite Logan Ryan. But, if he doesn’t see the field, it could be rookie Adoree Jackson getting the start. Regardless of who it is, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree will test this unit. Not to mention, Seth Roberts always seems to have a big game against the Titans.
Giving up big plays has been the Achilles heel of the Titans defense for several years now, and it’s evident that Jon Robinson and the coaching staff put forth the effort to upgrade the secondary. Now, Cooper and Crabtree will try this refurbished group early. If it works against Oakland’s lethal receiving duo, it may be a sign of good things to come. If not, well, it may just end up being more of the same.
Marcus Mariota – The last time we saw Mariota on the field in a meaningful game, he was writhing in pain. He’s done everything right to get back to this point, but now there’s one last test for him to pass. The Titans signal caller has looked healthy enough throughout the offseason, training camp, and the preseason, but we’ll finally find resolution to his injury on the field Sunday.
Corey Davis – One of the Titans first round picks, Davis has yet to see the field in preseason action due to a lingering hamstring injury. The team is eager to see what the former Western Michigan receiver can do for the offense. I don’t anticipate he will play too much, as they’ll want to ease him in on offense. But, look for Mariota to target him several times just to kick the tires on him.
The Defensive Line – With all the talk about Khalil Mack and Derek Carr, people lose sight of the fact that the Raiders have a pretty formidable offensive line. The Titans were excellent against the run in 2016, but that defensive line won’t have it easy in week one. Jurrell Casey remains one of the most underrated defenders in the NFL, and DaQuan Jones is an emerging talent. But, we’ll have to see how free agent addition Sylvester Williams is able to clog up the middle. They’ll have their work cut out for them with a rejuvenated Marshawn Lynch running right at ’em.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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