Two teams that are trending in the wrong direction after each dropped their last two games meet on the field at Nissan Stadium at high noon on Sunday. The 5-2 Tennessee Titans will serve as host to the 5-3 Chicago Bears. Both teams are in tight divisional races, but both still very much have their sights set on a 2020 playoff run.
The Titans are currently favored by 6.5 points, with an over/under set at 46.5. It’s expected to be partly cloudy and 78 degrees in Nashville at kickoff – prime football weather for a showdown between two teams who are in desperate need of a win. So, what do the Titans have to do to send the Bears home with that L?
Titans Keys to Victory vs. Bears
Run
7.5 yards per carry as a group last week. You have a backfield that was on fire against the Cincinnati Bengals going up against a Bears defense that is allowing 120 rushing yards per game. I don’t have to explain this one. In fact, I feel like I’ve written ‘run’ in these keys to victory pieces for the last several games. But, this week it’s different.
It’s not because the Titans run game gives this offense its best chance to score. It’s because this is a team that is desperately trying to fix things on defense. Part of that includes not being on the field so much. The Titans offense can help its defense out by sustaining drives. How do they do that? The run game.
Big Jeff
I know we said the Titans would have to take advantage of all of the Bengals’ issues along the offensive line a week ago, and it didn’t pan out that way at all.
Rinse and repeat for the Bears, right?
This week, I think you’re going to see the Titans get a little creative to generate a pass rush. That means pressure coming from anywhere and everywhere. Last week, Jeffery Simmons was not the force he had been all season prior to that game. I don’t expect that to become a trend. The Bears are hurting at offensive line – no matter who lines up against Simmons, it should be a match-up favoring the Titans. Generating that pressure and tipping passes once again could allow the OLBs to close in on Nick Foles, and/or give the secondary a chance to register a takeaway.
Big Jeff needs to get back to doing Big Jeff things and overwhelm whoever has the displeasure of lining up opposite him.
Finish sacks
It’s one of the more pressing, correctable issues plaguing the Titans defense right now, and it has a tremendous cumulative effect on the defense. It’s simple – if you get the quarterback dead to rights, you have to finish those tackles. It’s imperative for this unit to not let Foles do what Joe Burrow did a week ago.
Granted, Foles is nowhere near as shifty as Burrow, but that’s something that has to be corrected immediately. Then, you’re not asking your defensive backs to cover for exorbitant amount of time, you’re generating negative plays, and you’re getting off the field on third down. Simple – whether it’s Jadeveon Clowney, Harold Landry, or anyone else, you HAVE to bring down the quarterback when you get the chance. Plus, getting a big game from your front seven gives your cornerback who has been on IR all season and the one you JUST acquired this week a chance to ease into a rhythm.
Don’t forget to head over to Manscaped, and use promo code SOBROSTITANS for 20 percent off your order AND free shipping! Your balls will thank you. Owen Reed hopped on with me this week to talk about the Titans defense, Adoreé Jackson, Desmond King, and preview Sunday’s game against the Bears on the latest episode of The Unofficial Titans Podcast. You can listen to the full episode here:
Listen to “Ep. 42: Beasley and Joseph Cuts, Desmond King, Bears Preview” on Spreaker.Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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