4:25 PM EST, CBS – Line: Chargers -3, Over/Under: 47.5
Week Fifteen rolls on as fortunes are changing for many teams, including the two meeting today as the fading Tennessee titans hit the road to battle the Los Angeles Chargers, who were handed a lifeline with last weekend’s victory. Oh, how quickly things can change in the National Football League, for it feels like the last time we covered the Titans (7-6, 1st in AFC South), they were sitting comfortably atop their division and fashioned themselves as one of the true contenders within a competitive AFC. That was certainly the case a month ago, when they stood 7-3 and winners of seven of eight contests. However, they’ve since lost three consecutive games with turmoil behind the scenes threatening to derail the progress of one of the steadiest teams in the league. So, what in the name of Eddie George has happened, you ask? Well, fate is a mother@#$%^&, with everything going sideways following their 27-17 drubbing of the Packers on a Thursday night in late November. Unfortunately, the good times wouldn’t last much longer, as (Offensive Coordinator) Todd Downing was arrested following the affair for a DUI. Ten days later, Tennessee fell apart down the stretch of a narrow 20-16 loss at home to the Bengals. A week later, the traveled to Philadelphia for a reunion with (former Receiver) A.J. Brown, who the franchise traded away during the 2022 NFL Draft, much to the chagrin of their Head Coach, Mike Vrabel, who was visibly upset in his war room upon hearing the news. Of course, Brown would go on to TORCH his former teammates in a 35-10 beatdown, hauling in eight receptions for 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns. A few days later, (General Manager) Jon Robinson, who was responsible for trading the Pro-Bowler, was surprisingly fired from his post. And then the @#$% hit the proverbial fan last weekend in a stunning 36-22 upset at the hands of the Jaguars (more on this shortly), leaving them more vulnerable than ever before. So, we ask again: what the @#$% is going on in Nashville? This is a group that is falling well below their typical standard on both sides of the football, with Vrabel unable to find answers to what ails them. Offensively, they’ve never been prolific, but the one thing that we could always count on with them was the ability to run the football with (two-time Rushing Champion) Derrick Henry. During this stretch, they’ve averaged just 95.7 yards on 20.7 attempts per game, which is indicative of falling behind early and being forced to abandon what they do best. In turn, Henry (pictured below) has been relegated to 189 yards during that period, though over half of that figure came in last weekend’s meeting with the Jags. It also hasn’t helped that the two-time Pro-Bowler has coughed up the pigskin three times during that span, losing it altogether twice last Sunday. As for the defense, injuries have really begun to take their toll on a unit that has relinquished over thirty points in back-to-back games for the first time since September of 2021. Over the last three weeks, the Titans have been gashed for an average of 30.3 points on 418.3 total yards, with opposing Quarterbacks eviscerating them on 68.3% passing for 340 yards and seven touchdowns, registering zero interceptions and just three sacks.
When we last saw the Titans, they looked like they were well on their way to snapping their losing streak, only for momentum to shift completely in last weekend’s 36-22 upset against the Jaguars. This on started off easily in the hosts’ favor, as Tennessee ended the first quarter with a 14-7 lead, with Henry absolutely GOING OFF. This guy has really throttled Jacksonville in the past, and this latest encounter was no different as he rushed for NINETY-SIX yards in the first period alone. However, Vrabel’s charges wouldn’t score a single point the rest of the way, while the Jags ran off TWENTY-NINE unanswered points, until (veteran Quarterback) Ryan Tannehill hit (young Receiver) Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for two-yard score midway through the final stanza to make it look more respectable. So, what happened here, you ask? Well, this affair was nothing short of calamity of errors for the home side, you despite scoring three touchdowns, saw Henry and Tannehill lose a combined THREE fumbles, with the latter also tossing an interception at the end of the first period, with a turnover on downs from the visitors’ 28-yard line ending their afternoon. On the flipside, the Jaguars’ Offense really got going in the second quarter, scoring on five consecutive drives, the latter three of which were all touchdowns, and outgaining them 294-41 over that stretch! In the end, the Titans totaled 364 yards on twenty-two first downs, rushing 137 yards on twenty carries, though the vast majority of that production came in the first period. It was a mixed bag for Tannehill, who completed 25-of-38 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while finding himself under duress throughout the afternoon, suffering four sacks, nine hits, fourteen pressures and a lost fumble. As for Henry, he had 121 rushing yards on the day, though only twenty-six came after that initial first quarter surge, while (Rookie Tight End) Chigoziem Okonkwo impressed once again, reeling in all six of his targets for forty-five yards and a touchdown, marking his second straight outing with a score. Defensively, Tennessee was thrashed to the tune of 428 yards, allowing (Sophomore Quarterback) Trevor Lawrence to eviscerate them for 368 yards and three touchdowns on 30-of-42 passing, while rushing for another score to boot, while his Tight End, Evan Engram, FEASTED with 162 yards and two touchdowns on eleven receptions. Looking to today’s contest, the Titans are also on a three-game losing streak against the spread, though that is coming off a streak of seven consecutive victories against the line. They’re 5-5 against the spread in their last ten games away from Nashville, and 6-4 in that regard in their last ten as an underdog. Today’s encounter marks their first since 2019, with Tennessee generally struggling when traveling to face the Chargers, losing seven straight away meetings, covering the spread in just one of them. With that said, this is a team that has covered the spread in four consecutive games following a double-digit loss at home, which is the case this afternoon. Henry has faced Los Angeles twice in his career, rushing for a total of 123 yards and two touchdowns on thirty-four carries. On the injury front, make no mistake about it, these Titans are banged up with a plethora of players dealing with injuries leaving their availability for this affair up in the air; (veteran Defensive Lineman) Denico Autry is out indefinitely with a knee injury, with (Cornerback) Elijah Molden, (Linebacker) David Long, (Offensive Tackle) Jamarco Jones, and (Linebacker) Zach Cunningham all joining him. Furthermore, (Rookie Receiver) Treylon Burks and (young Cornerback) Kristian Fulton are both listed as questionable with the former missing last weekend’s outing with a concussion and the latter dealing with a sore groin.
Meanwhile, stop us if you’ve heard this before, but it’s the middle of December and the Chargers (7-6, 2nd in AFC West) are once again on the fringes of the playoff picture trying to secure a Wild Card. Indeed, this was the case a year ago in which Los Angeles was sitting at 8-5 and went on to drop three of their final four games of the campaign, setting up an epic finale at the Raiders, where they fell in overtime (35-32) in large part due to some head-scratching decisions made by (Head Coach) Brandon Staley. Well, we’re about to see what these Bolts have learned from that experience, for here they are sitting one game over .500 and on the outside-looking at the postseason. If the season ended today, they would find themselves on the wrong end of a tiebreaker with the Patriots (conference win percentage) for the final Wild Card in the AFC, which would extend their playoff drought to four years. With that said, this team very much controls their own fate, for in comparison to the teams that they’re in direct competition with, they have the much easier remaining schedule. Whereas the Pats must face the rest of the treacherous AFC East, the Chargers are looking at the fading Titans (whom we just discussed in detail), along with the lowly Colts, Texans, and Broncos, who occupy the last three spots in the conference. Simply put, if Staley’s troops can’t get in with this remaining schedule, then there are going to be some very hard questions that need to be answered in Los Angeles. Expectations were high in the City of Angels, for Staley and (General Manager) Tom Telesco went all-in to turn this team into a Super Bowl contender, spending a fortune in Free Agency with the acquisition of (Pro-Bowl Cornerback) J.C. Jackson, while adding (former Defensive Player of the Year) Khalil Mack via trade with the Bears. Unfortunately, the Defense has collapsed under the weight of a rash of injuries, with Jackson missing all but five games with a ruptured patellar tendon, (Pro-Bowl Defensive End) Joey Bosa missing all but three outings with a partially torn groin, and a host of other Defensive Linemen that has left them perilously thin up front with opponents all-so happy to bludgeon them with the run; for the second year in a row, LA has been a sieve in this regard, shipping 147.0 yards per game against the run (28th Overall) on a league-worst 5.4 yards per carry (32nd Overall). Hell, prior to last weekend’s turnaround against the Dolphins (more on that shortly), they were gashed for an average of 178.2 yards on the ground. Compounding matters is the fact that the injury situation hasn’t ben exclusive to the Defense, for the Offense has dealt with several of their own, including (Sophomore Left Tackle) Rashawn Slater, (Pro-Bowl Receiver) Keenan Allen, who missed seven games with a nagging hamstring, while {(fellow Wideout) Mike Williams missed four of five weeks with a high ankle sprain. Oh, and then there is (Pro-Bowl Quarterback) Justin Herbert, who despite starting every game thus far, has been dealing with fractured ribs since Week Two. To his credit, Herbert (pictured below) has performed heroically through it all, completing 67.6% of his passes for 285.1 yards per game on 6.01 net yards per attempt, with twenty-one touchdowns opposed to just seven interceptions, with four game-winning drives and fourth quarter comebacks apiece. With a veritable MASH unit surrounding him, the 24-year-old has really carried the Offense this season, but with Allen and Williams now healthy, the hope is that this unit can really build some late momentum to propel them into the playoffs.
When we last saw the Chargers, they overcame a number of absences on Defense to slow down what had been one of the most explosive passing attacks in the NFL this season, shutting down the Dolphins in a 23-17 victory. If Staley was looking for a performance that his Defense could hang their hat on, it was this one; apart from an awkward fumble recovery that (Pro-Bowl Receiver) Tyreek Hill scooped up and returned fifty-seven yards to paydirt, Los Angeles allowed a mere FIFTY-FOUR yards in the first half, and if you took away Hill’s 60-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, then Miami would have been relegated to a scant 102 total yards on the night. On the other hand, the Bolts had no such problems moving the football, racking up 432 total yards on twenty-four first downs, converting 9-of-18 third downs, and possessing the football for a commanding 39:38, which was a season-high for the home side. Herbert was nothing short of excellent in this one, carving the ‘Fins up for 367 yards and a touchdown on 39-of 51 passing, despite being under pressure throughout the affair, suffering four sacks, a fumble, seven hits, and fifteen pressures. (Pro-Bowl Tailback) Austin Ekeler amassed 104 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on twenty-three touches, while Williams looked healthy and productive for the first time in nearly two months with six receptions on as many targets for a team-high 116 yards and score, with Allen not far behind reeling in twelve of fourteen targets for ninety-two yards of his own. Looking to today’s matchup, the Chargers have covered the spread in six of their last ten games overall, with a middling 5-5 mark in that regard in their last ten outings at SoFi Stadium. They’re also 5-5 against the line in their last ten contests when favored by the oddsmakers. Furthermore, Los Angeles has covered four consecutive games in which they’re coming off a performance in which they just passed for 250+ yards, which is the case this afternoon. Though they haven’t faced the Titans in three years, they’ve OWNED them in posting an 8-2 record straight-up over the last ten encounters and covering the spread in seven of those meetings. Furthermore, LA has also won seven straight contests in Southern California, covering six of them, while matching those figures when favored. On the injury front, the Chargers were without (Pro-Bowl Safety) Derwin James last weekend, though could get both he and (fellow Defensive Back) Bryce Callahan back in action, with both players listed as questionable with respective quad and groin ailments. Word out of Bolts camp is that the aforementioned Bosa is getting closer to finally returning to the gridiron, with his 59.5 career sacks sure to be a boon for a Defense that needs all the healthy bodies it can find.