Game Overview ::
By hilow >>
- Lions WR Jameson Williams is reportedly looking at a two-game suspension after violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances (PES). policies. He has yet to be officially suspended (as of Thursday morning) but also reportedly is not going to appeal the suspension when it comes.
- Titans QB Will Levis appears likely to miss his second consecutive game with an AC joint injury that occurred when he landed on his throwing shoulder attempting to reach for a first down in Week 4. Levis played in Week 6 after the team’s bye but was held out in Week 7.
- Titans RB Tyjae Spears got in a limited session Wednesday after missing Week 7 with a hamstring injury. He was initially deemed to be week-to-week, making it uncertain whether or not to expect him against the Lions.
- The Titans have just four wide receivers on the roster currently, which includes 2024 sixth-round draft pick Jha’Quan Jackson. Treylon Burks hit IR and they dealt away DeAndre Hopkins this week.
How TENNESSEE Will Try To Win ::
Levis got in a limited session Wednesday, but the nature of his injury (AC joint) hints at another missed contest in Week 8 against the Lions. Mason Rudolph came into the team’s Week 4 game in relief of the injured Levis but has played just one game this season in which he was the starter (last week’s contest against the Bills). The Titans traded away Hopkins this week, shipping him off to the Chiefs for draft-pick compensation. The Titans are clearly entering rebuilding mode after making noise this offseason for their acquisitions. That said, their defense remains intact, a unit playing at an extremely high level currently, albeit while dealing with numerous key injuries of late. Finally, the Tennessee offensive line has played well below their talent in both aspects this season, ranking 31st in pass-blocking efficiency (80 total pressures allowed in six games played – only the Patriots, Browns, and Seahawks have allowed more pressures per game) and 31st in yards before contact per attempt (1.21). Even with a pass rate over expectation (PROE) value that ranks near the middle of the pack, consistently negative game scripts have forced the Titans into 30.3 pass attempts per game this season, but they would very clearly prefer to manage the game environment through slow pace of play (31st-ranked 31.9 seconds per play) and increased time of possession (sixth-ranked average time of possession this season at 31:45).
Most of that is likely to go out the window at some point against a Lions team that ranks third in points per game (30.3, having scored 31, 47, and 42 the previous three games), first in PROE forced on defense, and second in rush attempts faced per game (20.2). Lead back Tony Pollard has seen between 18 and 24 running back opportunities in five of six games this season, leaving him with one of the more bankable weekly projections in the league. That said, as we’ve continued to state this season, he has very few paths for truly elite volume in this offense even without Spears. That assertion is backed up by the fact this team has averaged only 59.7 plays per game while ranking sixth in average time of possession, combining with a 31st-ranked pace of play and a defense allowing the fewest yards per game (272.2) to subdue total offensive plays. Now consider the matchup, and there’s a lot left to be desired from the Tennessee run game here.
The pass-catching corps is now spearheaded by Ridley, albeit in a role that is almost exclusively of the downfield variety. Ridley’s 17.6-yard aDOT is the second deepest in the league and his target quality rating ranks 95th, leading to the most unrealized air yards in the league (a laughable 510 unrealized air yards through just six games played – that is truly remarkable, like, laughably bad). As in, Ridley currently has 635 total air yards, 510 of which have gone unrealized. With Hopkins no longer in town, expect Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to serve as the primary intermediate option in the offense, with slot receiver Tyler Boyd playing a prototypical slot-receiver role in both snap rate and route structure. At this point in his career, on this offense, there is very little meat left on the bone for per-target upside. And then there’s a three-headed abomination at tight end amongst Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, and Nick Vannett, a split that leaves very little room for upside for any of the three.
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