NFL Game of the Week: Titans vs. Rams
The Tennessee Titans will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams on Sunday night, in a matchup between two teams that currently would make the playoffs.
The Titans are coming into Week 9 with a 6-2 record. After a 2-2 start to the season where they lost to the lowly New York Jets in Week 4, Tennessee has put together an impressive four-game win streak.
They haven’t been playing against bad teams either; the past three games have been against the Bills, Chiefs and Colts, three teams with enough talent to make a push for the playoffs.
Tennessee’s offense will look very different in this game as superstar running back Derrick Henry underwent surgery that could keep him out for the rest of the year after he suffered a foot injury against the Colts.
To say he was the focal point of their offense would be an understatement, as Henry leads the league with 219 rushing attempts this season. The second most rushing attempts this season is 137, from Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon.
With new addition Adrian Peterson and second-string Jeremy McNichols leading the backfield now, Ryan Tannehill will have to throw the ball more.
Look for receivers AJ Brown and Julio Jones to be more involved than usual not only in this game but for the rest of the season if they can stay healthy.
The Titans’ defense hasn’t been much of a strength, as most of their wins against good teams are shootouts where they come out on top. If they’re going to win this one, they’ll have to score a lot.
As for the Rams, they have had a strong season thus far with a record of 7-1. Their only loss has come against their division rival Arizona Cardinals, who now have the same record as Los Angeles.
Los Angeles has become one of the Super Bowl favorites with talent all over the roster.
On offense, former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has proved to be dangerous when given the right weapons.
Receiver Cooper Kupp is on pace to not only have a career year but maybe even break some records along the way.
What could be even scarier for opponents the rest of this season is the Rams’ defensive talent.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey is one of the best in the business and has proven that there isn’t a WR1 he can’t cover.
Defense tackle Aaron Donald is a generational player that requires double-teams on every play, and even then, he can’t be stopped.
And now, they have added former Defensive Player of the Year Von Miller to their defense, after they agreed to a trade with Denver before the trade deadline.
While Miller may not play against Tennessee, offensive coordinators will be dreading their games against the Rams the rest of the season.
Sunday Night Football will be exciting, as both teams will have to adjust their game plans with the respective roster changes that took place over the past week with Henry and Miller.
Now that the Titans are without their star running back for the time being though, it could be tough for them to take down one of the best teams in the league.
Daniel Mader is a second-year student majoring in digital/print journalism. To contact him, email dbm5725@psu.edu.
